Bibb County schools outline FY26 budget options, including 3% raises and new positions amid projected deficits

Eric Busch, a district finance presenter, told the Bibb County School Board on May 5, "Today, we are holding our second work session for the FY 26 fiscal year 26 general fund budget." The presentation laid out revenue updates, mandated cost increases, staffing and program priorities, and four budget scenarios the board will use ahead of a tentative adoption scheduled for May 15.

The board was shown projections the district used to build the FY26 plan: a projected total enrollment of 21,436 students (10,679 elementary; 4,714 middle; 6,035 high), a staff allocation need of about 2,146 positions (an increase of roughly 12.75 positions), and a $289.7 million preliminary budget. Busch said the superintendent’s budget focuses on recruitment and retention, literacy, attendance interventions and leadership capacity.

Why it matters: the district faces mandated increases in state health insurance and teacher retirement costs, an estimated $5.5 million increase in health-care costs for 2026 (about $10 million over four years), and a $9.1 million decrease in equalization aid. Those forces, combined with current revenue estimates, produce multi-million-dollar deficits under several scenarios presented to the board.

Key numbers and scenarios presented

- State allotment update: staff reported an additional $2.2…