Clay County School Board adopts 2025-26 millage, $658 million final budget and educational facilities plan

The Clay County School Board voted 5-0 on Sept. 11, 2025, to adopt the fiscal 2025-26 millage rates and a final budget the district presented as totaling $658,000,000 and to approve the district's 2025-29 educational facilities plan (EFP). The board also approved the superintendent's annual financial report and a June 2025 budget amendment earlier in the meeting.

District Chief Financial Officer Don Posey, assistant superintendent of business affairs, told the board the final budget reflects adjustments from tentative figures and closing-of-books actuals. Posey said the general operating fund combined with the 1-mil fund totals about $428,000,000; special revenue funds total about $49,700,000; debt service about $6,800,000; capital projects about $121,900,000; and internal service funds about $51,300,000, for a districtwide final budget the presentation listed as $658,000,000. Posey said a net increase of roughly $5.8 million between the tentative and final general fund totals results from revenue adjustments and fund-balance reconciliations.

Why it matters: The adopted millage and budget determine local tax rates and how the district allocates funds for schools, staffing, capital projects and federal grants. Several members of the public used the required public hearing to press the board on priorities including use of millage funds, unspent emergency-communications allocations and teacher pay.

Details of the district presentation

Posey described the district's required local effort and other millage components. The…