Newton County Schools outline FY27 budget calendar and report rising costs, flatting tax digest and fund balances
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Summary
District staff presented the FY27 budget development timeline and a finance report through Nov. 30, 2025, citing $87.8 million in general fund revenue year-to-date, an ending fund balance of about $34 million, shrinking equalization funding and projected health-insurance costs that have more than doubled since FY22.
District finance and budget staff presented an overview of the FY27 budget development process and a month-end finance report to the Newton County Board of Education on Tuesday.
Miss Erica Roberts (presenter) explained the district's budget structure — general, special revenue, capital projects and debt service funds — and said Board Policy DC requires the superintendent to submit an estimated budget to the board each year. The presentation identified key external stakeholders — the governor, General Assembly, the Georgia Department of Education and Newton County Tax Assessor — who influence revenue projections and allocations.
Staff highlighted several fiscal trends the board must address in FY27: a rising local fair-share contribution that shifts more cost to local taxpayers, a decline in equalization funding from more than $20 million in FY22 to just under $11 million in FY26, slower property tax digest growth (growth of about 8% in FY26 versus 25% in FY24) and sharply rising employer health-insurance costs (from under $18 million in FY22 to projected >$38 million in FY26).
The finance report for the month ending Nov. 30, 2025, showed general fund revenue to date of about $87,800,000 (36.42% of budget) and year-to-date general-fund expenditures of about $110,500,000 (41.72% of budget). District staff reported a beginning fund balance of $56,700,000 and an ending fund balance near $34,000,000 after year-to-date activity. Combined year-to-date revenue across all funds was reported at approximately $113,600,000.
Board members asked clarifying questions about revenue sources, SDI allocations used to fund professional development contracts and the status of a previously authorized tax anticipation note (which had not been used).
The presentation closed with the FY27 budget calendar: initial superintendent-board priority meetings through January 2026, budget overview in March 2026, tentative budget adoption in April 2026, public budget hearings and final adoption in May 2026.
(Reporting note: financial figures and calendar dates are taken from the meeting presentation and finance report.)