Hancock County Board of Education approves 2025–26 combined budget and tax resolution

Hancock County Board of Education members on Monday, Aug. 11, 2025, approved the Hancock County School District’s combined 2025–26 budget and a resolution requesting ad valorem taxes at a special meeting held at the county office. Members representing Districts 1 through 5 voted to approve the measures.

The approvals set the district’s spending plan for the upcoming school year and authorized the board to request the property-tax levy needed to fund that budget. Board members discussed a handful of line items during the vote call, including supplemental costs tied to athletics and how schools manage social-media postings.

During discussion, a board member raised concerns about expenditures related to the assistant athletic director, saying the district had already spent about twice the assistant’s salary and questioned adding another $1,200 to the budget. Several board members suggested that the athletics department could absorb some of that expense rather than relying on central funds.

Board members and meeting participants also described how social-media duties are split among staff. The meeting record identifies three staff involved in online communications: Macy (no last name given), who assists with coordination and posting; Stacy, who runs the athletics page; and Kelly Mason, who manages the high-school Facebook page. Board members noted those duties while discussing how some extracurricular-related costs are recorded and funded.

The board approved three related items presented for the 2025–26 year: the combined Hancock County School District 2025–26 budget (item A), an item identified in the meeting as item B related to the 2025–26 budget (term used at the meeting: “by budget”; details not specified), and a resolution requesting ad valorem taxes to fund the budget (item C). The motions carried on a voice roll call in which representatives for Districts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 voted yes.

Board Chair (name not specified in the record) confirmed there was no need for an executive session. The board then approved a motion to adjourn and set the next meeting for Sept. 4, 2025.

The discussion was brief and focused on budget line-item management rather than changes to districtwide policy. Specific contract amounts, salary schedules beyond the $1,200 line-item discussed, and detailed budget breakdowns were not specified in the meeting record.