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Board pauses Communities In Schools funding change; approves purchasing report minus CIS item
Summary
Board members pulled a purchasing item related to Communities In Schools after learning the FY26 budget includes a $1 million reduction for the group; the board approved the purchasing report excluding the CIS negotiation and asked administration to continue talks and return with a proposal.
During its June 23 meeting the Clayton County Board of Education debated a proposed reduction in funding for Communities In Schools (CIS) and voted to approve the district’s purchasing report with the CIS item removed so staff could continue negotiations.
Chief Financial Officer Ramona Bivens presented monthly financial reports and then the purchasing report. During discussion, board members and staff disclosed that a $1 million reduction for Communities In Schools had been included in the proposed budget. The purchasing department said the CIS line was pulled from the purchasing report pending final negotiations on pricing and service terms.
Board members pressed for clarity on impact. Board member Sabrina Hill and others said a substantial cut raised concerns about service continuity for the 21 schools CIS currently serves. Some members said they were not previously informed the reduction would be proposed and urged greater transparency in vendor negotiations. Superintendent Dr. Anthony Smith said the administration had to find reductions across the budget and was negotiating with vendors, including CIS, to avoid service interruptions while achieving a balanced budget.
Because CIS was pulled, the board first approved the consent agenda with the purchasing report excluded. Later, members voted to approve the purchasing report minus the CIS item. The board recorded that administration will return with a recommended proposal on CIS pricing and services at a future meeting, and members requested the negotiations preserve service levels where possible.
Separately, the CFO reported fiscal-year‑to‑date figures during the meeting: the district had collected $581,400,000 in revenues (about 82.2% of budget), local tax revenue at 91.9% of budget, state revenue at 80.7% and federal revenue at 71.4%; expenditures were at roughly 80% of budget. The board did not finalize a restoration of the CIS funding level during the session.
The purchasing report vote—approved without the CIS item—did not include final contract approval for CIS; board members expressed a preference that the administration bring back a negotiation outcome for board review before final changes take effect.
