Catoosa County board certifies 2025 estimated rollback rate and hears FY25 financial update as district trims positions

Catoosa County school officials on May 6 certified an estimated rollback millage rate of 14.87 to be included on property assessment notices and received a financial update that outlined current fiscal status, planned staffing reductions and projected state funding for FY26.

The certification of an "estimated rollback rate" reflects new state requirements under House Bill 581 (2024) and House Bill 92 (2025), which allow local governments to provide an estimated rollback rate on assessment notices or else default to last year's millage and a tax estimate based on current assessed value. The board approved the certification by voice vote; the superintendent announced the recommendation and the motion was seconded and adopted unanimously.

Finance staff told the board the district is in a stronger financial position than a year earlier after earlier optimizations; staff reported the district eliminated more than 60 positions earlier in the year and plans to reduce roughly 20 additional positions via attrition with a projected savings of $1,360,000. Staff said they shifted certain subscriptions and licenses to be treated as capitalized intangible assets and moved eligible projects and expenses to E‑SPLOST funding to reduce general‑fund pressure.

On projected state funding, staff reported unofficial figures indicating net FY26 funding of about $86,500,000 — approximately $3 million more than the current midyear projection — driven in part by more accurate 2024 property valuations and related equalization. Finance staff cautioned those figures are preliminary pending the final tax digest and grant allocations; they said final numbers will be confirmed over the summer.

Staff also described an upcoming increase in employer health‑insurance costs passed through state processes; the presenter reported an increase to "$18.85 dollars per month per employee" in July for certified and classified employees and said certified employees' insurance increases are covered by the state while classified employees' increases are not. Board members discussed the legal and practical limits on changing state insurance arrangements.

Capital projects and debt‑service balances were summarized: the capital projects fund showed revenues and expenditures through March and a fund balance on the balance sheet; debt service fund balances and activity were also provided. The finance update was informational; the board later approved consent‑agenda financial items, including the March financial report.