Clayton County board adopts FY26 budget with $1,500 COLA and $1,000 retention incentive; approves charter petition and several principal appointments

The Clayton County Board of Education on June 2 approved the district's fiscal year 2026 budget and a package of personnel and charter items, voting to adopt the superintendent's recommendation for "option 3," which includes a $1,500 cost-of-living adjustment for all employees and a $1,000 one-time retention incentive for returning full-time staff (and $500 for returning part-time staff).

The budget presentation, given by Ms. Bivens, put projected FY26 general fund revenues at $728,777,017 and projected expenditures at $749,185,814, leaving a planned use of fund balance of $20,408,797 and a projected June 30, 2026 ending general fund balance of $139,591,203. All funds totalled projected revenues of $1,491,669,576 and projected expenditures of $1,514,097,197, for a planned use of fund balance of $22,427,621 and a projected all-funds ending balance of $139,598,869.

Board members debated the timing and process for the budget. Maika Smoot, president of the Clayton County Education Association,…