Paulding County schools report steady fund balance, project slight enrollment decline for FY26
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Summary
District financial update shows unassigned fund balance able to cover about 3.1 months of FY25 expenditures; district projects enrollment to decline modestly into FY26 and will present preliminary FY26 budget figures on April 1.
The Paulding County School District on March 4 presented its January financial update and a FY26 budget foundation report that outlined demographic, enrollment and funding factors expected to shape next year’s budget.
Amber Thesma, director of planning and analysis, told the board that with 58.3% of the fiscal year elapsed the district’s unassigned fund balance could support about 3.1 months of FY25 budgeted expenditures, the same level as the prior year. Year-to-date revenue variance to budget was 11.8%, compared with 12.9% in FY24 and a three-year average of 10.4%. Expenditure variance to budget was 1.6%, near last year’s 1.4% and within recent averages. Thesma said the monthly financial update and a required statement of revenues, expenditures and encumbrances are attached to the meeting agenda and available on the district website.
The district also released its budget foundation document, a public reference for FY26 planning that examines demographic, economic, enrollment and funding trends. Presenters said Paulding County remains one of Georgia’s fastest-growing counties in raw population of school-age children but that 2025 data showed a decline of 423 students from the prior year, bringing enrollment to about 31,168; current FY26 projections in the presentation estimated a further decline of about 93 students to 31,075. Over the 10-year period ending in 2025 the district reported roughly 1% annual growth and an increase of about 2,800 students (10%) since 2015.
Presenters noted local property tax digest composition skews heavily residential (reported at 86% residential in 2024 versus a large-district average of 65%), and that local revenue per pupil ranks below comparable large districts while state revenue accounts for a larger share of district revenue (reported at 50.6% of total revenue as of 2024). The district plans to present preliminary FY26 revenues, expenditures and allotments at an April 1 meeting and the next full quarterly financial report in May.
No budget decisions were taken at the March 4 meeting; the board received the reports for planning and public information.
