Forsyth County Schools propose $750.5 million FY26 budget; millage hearings may be delayed

Forsyth County Board of Education staff on June 12 presented a proposed $750.5 million fiscal year 2026 budget that would increase overall spending by 4.99 percent while proposing no change to the district's millage rate.

Larry Hamill, who presented the draft budget during the board's special call meeting, said the district is proposing a balanced budget and that "No millage rate increases are proposed this year." He told the board the package reflects a $35.7 million increase over FY25 and that only about 1.54 percent of that increase is under local control; the remaining 3.46 percent stems from state- and federally-driven costs, including rising employee benefit expenses.

The budget presentation placed 73 percent of spending into instruction and showed salaries and benefits consuming roughly 90.4 percent of the proposed FY26 expenditures. Hamill said the draft includes $678.4 million for salaries and benefits and about $72 million for operations. He also noted a $4.5 million reservation for safety and security upgrades related to a recently passed state requirement.

Why thi…