Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Paulding County Board of Education unanimously approves FY 2026 original budget
Summary
The Paulding County Board of Education approved the district's FY 2026 original budget after a presentation showing enrollment and fund-balance projections; the board noted the budget approval is separate from any future millage decision.
The Paulding County Board of Education unanimously approved the district's FY 2026 original budget at its June 10 work session after a presentation that included enrollment projections, fund-balance estimates and a bond-debt payment schedule.
The budget presentation projected the district will educate 31,075 students in fiscal year 2026 and reported projected general fund revenue of $435.7 million and a general fund total of $438.5 million, including about $2.8 million in grants. The board also heard that the district's projected fund balance at June 30 would equal about 1.5 months of FY 2026 expenditures; a separate update noted the district's unassigned fund balance could support about 2.4 months of FY 2025 expenditures.
Why it matters: the budget sets spending plans for schools, staff and capital debt payment; the board emphasized that approving the budget is not the same as setting the millage rate, which will be considered at a later meeting.
CFO Anna Durham summarized the month-of-April financial highlights during the presentation. “Our unassigned fund balance could support 2.4 months of our fiscal year 25 budget expenditures,” Durham said. The board heard that with 83.3% of the fiscal year lapsed, year-to-date revenue variance to budget was 5.7% and expenditures variance was 2.3% for April.
The district's presentation also said the FY 2026 plan includes paying about $15.9 million in bond debt and that the general fund ends FY 2026 with a projected fund balance close to the board's minimum target. Board member Miss Best noted the district remains nearer to the minimum target than the maximum reserve goal and said officials are running the budget "as tight as possible." She warned that a 1.5-month reserve at June 30 means the district will have limited cushion by September.
Superintendent (unnamed in the transcript) and staff said a video explaining budget development is available on the district website and that a full quarterly report will be presented in August for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2025.
Board action and next steps: Board member Miss Lyons moved to approve the FY 2026 original budget; the motion was seconded by Mr. Chester and carried unanimously. The superintendent reminded the board that millage-setting is a separate action to be taken at another meeting.
Less-critical details: the presentation reiterated there were no material changes from the tentative budget presented earlier, and enrollment and allotment counts remained unchanged since the tentative presentation.
