Money pours into pro-charter amendment campaign

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A large amount of money is pouring into the campaign in support of the proposed charter school amendment. To date, Families for Better Public Schools has raised nearly $2 million. Most of the funding for the pro-amendment campaign has been raised within the last month, with nearly 30 percent from in-state donors and about 70 percent from out of state.

Recent in-state donors include Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus, who gave $250,000 and prominent real estate developer Tom Cousins who contributed $20,000 dollars. Meanwhile, major out-of-state donations include $350,000 from Wal-Mart heiress Alice Walton and $250,000 from former Washington D.C school chief Michelle Rhee’s Student First group. Bert Brantley is a spokesman for Families for Better Public Schools.

“It’s been very gratifying to see that a wide range of people both in state and nationally that are willing to contribute to a cause to help education.”

But the group opposing the amendment has raised only $123,000 in total and takes issue with large donations coming in from out of state to support the amendment.  Jane Langley is with Vote Smart Georgia.

“Those out of state corporations must badly want to change our constitution permanently. I hope Georgia voters don’t turn our schools into cash cows for others’ profit.”

Despite the uneven funding, Langley says her side has a good shot of winning on election day. Brantley is also confident but says his group is taking nothing for granted.

In the most recent campaign contribution disclosure report, more than one million dollars of the amount raised by Families for Better Public Schools has gone to mailings, direct calling and television and radio advertising.  Meanwhile, Vote Smart Georgia has spent nearly $20,000 on campaign management and funding.