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Business services summarizes tentative FY26 general fund and March financials; district reports 5‑star state financial efficiency rating
Summary
Business services presented March financials and a preliminary view of the district’s tentative FY26 general fund budget, including a $120.5 million tentative expenditure total and staffing-related personal services comprising most of the budget. The district also reviewed March cash balances, vendor payments and federal fund timing.
Business services presented the district’s March financial reports and a tentative overview of fiscal year 2026 general fund expenditures at the Oconee Board of Education work session.
Mr. Adams, presenting the business services report, said the district’s March closing cash balance represented a 3.87% decrease from the previous month but described the balance as strong and said state funding projections remained stable. The report recorded payments to 473 vendors totaling $10.9 million for March. Year-to-date, revenues and expenditures were near expected pacing: revenues and expenditures were reported at roughly 74% of the fiscal year to date against an expected 75%.
The report noted increased collections: an increase of 1.89% over the prior month and a 5.10% increase compared with March of the prior year. The presentation also reviewed federal funds (reimbursement-based timing), ELAS 6 collections, and other monthly financial metrics.
A district highlight: Oconee County Schools was reported as the only system in the state to earn a 5-star financial efficiency rating from the Georgia Department of Education for fiscal year 2024, supported by per-pupil expenditures and the district’s CCRPI performance; Mr. Adams said the district’s FY24 per-pupil expenditure was $10,514 and that all 12 district schools earned an “A” in CCRPI.
Tentative FY26 general fund figures presented by business services included a total expenditure projection of $120,500,000, with 88.5% of the total budget — $106,500,000 — allocated to personal services (salaries, TRS, health insurance and retirement) covering approximately 1,100 employees. The operational portion of the budget was presented at $13,800,000 (11.5% of the total), which the presenter said covered utilities, repairs and maintenance, curriculum and transportation.
Functional-category highlights presented (tentative FY26 expenditures as presented): instruction, $84,100,000 (roughly 600 teachers, 100 paraprofessionals, technology staff and 21 counselors); pupil services, $3,700,000 (nurses, psychologists, social workers and contracts with Northeast Georgia RESA and Lighthouse Georgia Network/GNETS); improvement of instruction, $1,100,000; educational media services (school libraries), $1,400,000; maintenance and operations, $8,900,000 (including 43 district custodians and $80,000 civic-center contract); school safety and security, $2,700,000 (SRO program, traffic control and after-hours access officers); student transportation, $6,500,000 (including $525,000 for fuel, $360,000 for maintenance and $114,000 to retrofit 53 buses with illumination bus signs and stop arms); and a $31,000 contribution to the Oconee County Library to extend student hours.
Mr. Adams said the tentative general-fund budget will be presented to the board at an upcoming work session (the presentation and the slides referenced a tentative presentation on May 5). He closed the report by inviting questions from the board; board members asked clarifying questions about SRO program costs and scope.
