Newton County Schools proposes $265 million FY2026 budget; board asks staff to review registrar pay equity

Newton County Schools leaders presented the proposed fiscal year 2026 budget at a public hearing, outlining a $265,000,000 spending plan driven by full implementation of a classification and compensation study and rising employer benefit costs, and noting a net projected $2,200,000 decline in state funding.

The proposed budget, presented by Chief Financial Officer Erica Robinson, would implement the full classification and compensation study at an estimated $8,000,000, cover an estimated $3,900,000 increase in employer health insurance costs and $1,600,000 in additional employer contributions to the teachers’ retirement system, and is based on a projected enrollment of 18,747 students and an estimated per-pupil expenditure of $14,138.

Robinson said the district’s budget development followed board policy DC and the State Board of Education’s requirements, and that the process included four phases of planning, review and public notice. “This budget is a clear expression of our values, supporting our staff, strengthening our workforce, and ensuring that every financial decision supports the long term success of our students,” Robinson said.

Why it matters: the presentation shows the district shifting limited new revenue toward employee compensation and benefits while state funding declines, which the presenters said will require close attention to local revenue sources and possible future choices for the board.

Details of revenues and expenditures The CFO told the board the district faces a net decline in state funding of about $2,200,000 for FY2026. The state will increase certain benefit-related funding by roughly $4,500,000—largely attributed to the state health benefit plan and the teachers’ retirement system—but reductions elsewhere, including a projected $361,000 drop in transportation funding and an estimated $4,400,000 fall in equalization funding tied to local digest growth, offset those gains. Local revenue is projected to rise by about $2,900,000, driven by an anticipated 6% increase in the local property digest (about $2,100,000) and a planned distribution from the joint development authority (about $1,300,000). The district also expects a projected $550,000 decline in collections from intangible and real estate taxes, title ad valorem tax and investment earnings.

On the expenditure side, Robinson said the preliminary FY2026 budget is $265,000,000, up $16,900,000 from FY2025. She cited two primary drivers: full implementation of the classification and compensation study (estimated $8,000,000) and rising employer benefit costs (health insurance and pension contributions). Robinson presented the projected per-pupil spending using an enrollment estimate of 18,747 students, yielding $14,138 per pupil.

Discussion: communication and pay-equity concerns During board questions, one board member pressed staff on whether the district adequately communicated the classification and compensation study results across central office and school-based staff after initial scales were released. Robinson explained the district distributed multiple communications, and that administrative reviews were made available specifically to staff with titles prefixed by coordinator and director because their classifications differed. She added that school-based staff could still contact the human resources division with questions.

The board member raised a specific concern about registrars at school sites, saying registrars carry responsibilities that affect student classification and funding and that pay appeared inequitable across elementary, middle and high schools. In response, Superintendent Bradley said the district would "go back and look at how the registrars... pay was determined, and we will reevaluate and come back to the board with our findings," and he acknowledged the broader issue of employees performing multiple roles or having expanded responsibilities that may not align with current job descriptions.

Action and next steps No formal votes were taken at the hearing. The board set two public hearings for the tentative budget (May 13 and May 20) and anticipates adopting the FY2026 budget at its regular meeting on May 20. As a direction from the board discussion, staff agreed to review how registrar pay was determined and to return to the board with findings. Robinson and district staff also reiterated that human resources will respond to individual questions about classification placement.

The hearing materials, including the tentative budget, were published in the Covington News and on the district website for public review; the presentation the board received follows the district’s four-phase budget development process described under board policy DC and State Board of Education procedures.

A board member repeatedly emphasized transparency and equitable treatment across both central office and school-based employees; administrators acknowledged communication gaps in initial releases of the classification scales and committed to follow-up outreach and targeted review of registrar compensation. The board did not take a formal vote at this hearing.