Individuals and businesses in the community can now easily and directly benefit the children of Union County Schools by simply choosing to keep their state income tax dollars local – and anyone who files a state tax return can contribute.
The program is called the Georgia Foundation for Public Education PEACH Education Tax Credit, and it’s a win-win for everybody.
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Each contribution consists of money a taxpayer must send to the State of Georgia anyway in the form of income taxes. But now that Union County is eligible for this program, people can give those dollars directly to the local College & Career Academy instead of to the state.
These funds will be used for two “priority projects,” starting with the currently self-funded Career Technical Student Organizations like DECA Club and Future Farmers of America, to offset student fundraising needs for things like competition travel and to expand vocational opportunities.
The second priority project will be improvement for local Career, Technical and Agricultural Education programs via items like equipment, machinery and materials purchases for the many profession-related pathways in automotive, construction, health care, computer science and more, plus professional development for staff.
North of 80% of Union County High School students fall under the College & Career Academy umbrella of programs and clubs, translating to hundreds of youths being positively impacted in the community every year.
So, why should taxpayers take note? The College & Career Academy is dedicated to workforce training, that is, preparing students for employment in any number of fields that are relevant to Union County’s existing industries.
This emphasis on employability is key – the school system doesn’t want kids to have to leave their hometown just to find good jobs, like the old days.
The academy already enjoys tremendous buy-in from community partners across various industries who regularly team up with the schools to develop the local employment base of tomorrow.
And this tax credit effectively multiplies the opportunities for even more community members to do something for local school children, as the money raised will take Union County Schools’ focus on workforce development to the next level.
“Union County College & Career Academy exists to develop a regional workforce that is employable and ready, and the PEACH Education Tax Credit initiative will help us to continue this training well into the future,” UCHS Principal Josh Davis said.
The PEACH program is similar to the Georgia HEART Hospital Program that benefited Union General Hospital with tax credits until their participation expired, and folks who gave locally to that cause can seamlessly transition their giving to the College & Career Academy.
Utilizing the Education Tax Credit is a straightforward process, and here’s how it works:
Apply for the credit at gfpe.org/tax_credit/, then wait for confirmation to proceed. Next, make the approved donation amount via the same website, being sure to choose “Union County College & Career Academy” as the recipient.
Finally, claim the PEACH Education Tax Credit on the subsequent Georgia income tax return. The credit will be a dollar-for-dollar reduction in state income taxes owed up to the allowable amount.
Maximum contributions are as follows: single individuals, head of household, or married couple filing separately, up to $2,500; married couple filing jointly, up to $5,000; LLC member or partnership, pass-through entity, up to $25,000; and C or S corporation or fiduciary taxpayer, up to 75% of annual Georgia income tax liability.
The tax credit has an initial campaign goal of raising $250,000 over the next two years, and if the effort is successful, the academy can re-apply for new campaigns with potentially higher total contribution caps to increase the tax credit’s impact on students for years to come.
“We want our kids to learn here and end up being able to live and work here, and not just jobs, but careers,” said College & Career Academy CEO Charley Cattanach, himself a UCHS grad. “Developing our workforce is my main prerogative, and all our programs are designed around that.”
Making this possible, the Georgia Foundation for Public Education exists to support educational excellence for students in Georgia by collaborating with numerous stakeholders to create a better future for the 1.7 million students in Georgia’s public schools, including those in Union County.
“The Georgia Foundation for Public Education is dedicated to strengthening our state’s K-12 public education system,” GFPE Executive Director Paige Buzbee Pushkin said. “We are thrilled to partner with Union County College & Career Academy to raise funds through the PEACH Education Tax Credit program to impact innovation and public education in Union County directly – local money helping local students is a win for everyone.”
