Oconee County Board adopts FY26 budget, OKs school projects, safety equipment and policy reviews

At its June 9 meeting, the Oconee County Board of Education adopted the district’s fiscal year 2026 general fund and federal fund budgets, approved a set of school facility and safety purchases and placed several policy updates on public review. The board voted unanimously on each action, with recorded outcomes listed below.

The general fund budget adopted for FY26 includes estimated expenditures of $120,500,000 and estimated revenues of $119,100,000, based on a tentative rollback millage rate of 13.919 mills. The board’s presentation said the budget includes $7.8 million in “additional considerations,” including salary steps ($1,000,000), higher employer health contributions ($3,000,000), increased teacher retirement employer contributions ($1,100,000) and funding for a school resource officer program ($2,500,000). The administration said salaries and benefits account for 88.5% of total expenditures.

The board also adopted the FY26 federal funds budget, which the administration described as reimbursement-based and estimated at $7,600,000 in revenues and expenditures. Both budget motions passed 5-0.

Beyond the budgets, the board approved several operational and capital items that the administration said aim to improve safety and operations districtwide. Approved items included a spring technology surplus list; four out-of-state student field trips (FBLA to Anaheim, CA; North Oconee girls golf to Pinehurst, NC; North Oconee boys basketball to San Diego, CA in December; Malcolm Bridge Middle band/chorus to Charlotte, NC in March 2026); replacement ovens at North Oconee High School ($42,171.70); illuminated bus route signs ($55,414.68) and fully illuminated stop arms ($55,272.34) for the district’s remaining buses; and approval of the Colin Ferry Elementary playground project at a proposed cost of $75,000 to be funded with principal account and PTO funds. The board also approved the Georgia Educational Cooperative school nutrition bids for FY26.

On policy matters, the board approved placing board policy DIB (financial reports/capitalization thresholds) on the table for public review and comment through the July 7, 2025 meeting, and it voted to table board policy DJEAA for further review at the July meeting. The board also adopted its annual board norms and protocols and the calendar of Board of Education meeting dates for the 2025–26 school year.

The meeting concluded with a unanimous vote to adjourn into executive session to discuss personnel matters.

Votes at a glance - Adopt FY26 general fund budget (expenditures $120,500,000; revenues $119,100,000; tentative rollback 13.919 mills): Passed 5-0. - Adopt FY26 federal funds budget (estimated $7,600,000): Passed 5-0. - Place board policy DIB (financial reports/capitalization thresholds) on public review until 07/07/2025: Passed 5-0. - Table board policy DJEAA for July review: Passed 5-0 (tabled). - Approve technology surplus list: Passed 5-0. - Approve four out-of-state field trips (FBLA to Anaheim; golf to Pinehurst; boys basketball to San Diego; Malcolm Bridge band/chorus to Charlotte): Passed 5-0. - Approve Colin Ferry Elementary playground project (cost $75,000; principal account/PTO funds): Passed 5-0. - Approve Georgia Educational Cooperative school nutrition bids for FY26: Passed 5-0. - Approve ovens for North Oconee High School (mobile fixtures/equipment $42,171.70; grant and school nutrition funds): Passed 5-0. - Approve illuminated bus route signs ($55,414.68) and fully illuminated stop arms ($55,272.34) for remaining buses: Passed 5-0. - Enter executive session to discuss personnel: Passed 5-0.

Why it matters: the general fund budget as adopted concentrates district spending on personnel (88.5% of the total), funding salary and benefit increases the administration flagged as priorities for FY26. The safety purchases (illuminated bus signs and stop arms) and the SRO funding item were presented as measures to increase student and staff safety.

Details and context: Business services staff told the board the general fund figures assume a rollback millage rate and that actual millage will be finalized after the tax digest update. The administration described federal funds as reimbursement-based and noted expenditures must precede reimbursement. The board’s action to place DIB on public review reflects updates to capitalization thresholds described by staff (capitalization threshold increased from $5,000 to $10,000 for many assets and larger thresholds for buildings/land improvements). The DJEAA policy change (threshold increase to $100,000) was tabled for further review.

Board procedure and votes: motions were typically made by a board member and seconded; on multiple items the chair called for the vote and announced “Passes 5 0.” No dissenting votes were recorded in the public meeting record.

Ending: The board completed its business with unanimous decisions on the budget and the listed operational and policy items and moved to executive session to discuss personnel.