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Oconee County Board of Education holds second public hearing on tentative FY26 budget; resident urges cuts
Summary
School finance staff presented the fiscal year 2026 tentative budget, including a proposed rollback millage of 13.919 mills and a projected 19.2% unassigned fund balance for June 30, 2026. A resident urged the board to reduce spending, saying the fund balance exceeds board policy. The board approved the meeting agenda earlier by a 4-0 vote.
The Oconee County Board of Education held its second public hearing on the fiscal year 2026 tentative budget on May 29, 2025, at the Instructional Sports Center in Watkinsville. District staff reviewed projected revenues, proposed additions for salaries and benefits, and the district's estimated unassigned fund balance; the board approved the meeting agenda at the start of the session by a 4-0 vote.
The tentative FY26 budget presented by Mr. Adams, a district staff member, lists salary step increases totaling $1,080,000, employer health insurance contributions of $3,080,000, employer contributions for teacher retirement of $1,100,000, and a school resource officer program cost of $2,500,000. Those items are characterized in the presentation as additional considerations totaling $7,800,000. The presentation lists a continuing budget of $112,600,000 and total tentative expenditures of $120,500,000.
The presentation said salaries and benefits account for about 80.85% of the tentative budget, leaving roughly 11.5% for operations. The tentative millage (rollback) rate shown is 13.919 mills, a decrease of 2.32% from the current 14.25 mills. The district projects an unassigned fund balance of $24,500,000 on June 30, 2025, and a projected unassigned fund balance of $23,200,000 on June 30, 2026, equal to an estimated 19.2% of budgetary general fund expenditures.
Mr. Adams said federal funds for FY26 are tentatively budgeted at $7,600,000, representing about 6%–6.5% of the district's budget, and that the district typically administers nine distinct federal grant programs each fiscal year. He also said that if the rollback rate is tentatively adopted, separate hearings on the millage rate would not be required this summer. The board is scheduled to vote on the fiscal year budget and the tentative millage rate at its June 9, 2025, board meeting.
During the public-comment period, Pamela Hendricks, an Oconee County resident who signed up to speak, urged the board to reduce spending and questioned the size of the district's unassigned fund balance. Hendricks read figures she said were drawn from the FY24 audit and the presentation and asserted that the district held $51,100,000 in unassigned funds on June 30, 2024 — an increase she said of $6,500,000 over the prior year. She cited what she described as the board's policy recommending an end-of-year unassigned fund balance minimum of 10% but not more than 15% of next year's general fund expenditures, and said the tentative FY26 estimate of 19.26% violates that policy. Hendricks asked the board for clarity on line items that produced the difference between the continuity budget and the final tentative total.
Board members and staff did not take a final budget vote at the hearing; Mr. Adams closed his presentation and the board will consider formal adoption at the June 9 meeting. Earlier in the session, the board approved the meeting agenda on a motion that passed 4-0 (mover not specified; seconded by Mr. Hammond).
