Parents and students press Paulding board after FY‑27 preview as allotment cuts loom for Hiram High

The Paulding County Board of Education on March 24 received a first look at its preliminary FY‑27 budget and faced direct public pushback over proposed teacher allotment reductions at Hiram High School.

Superintendent Barnett asked finance staff to present preliminary general fund numbers. The presentation showed an overall revenue increase of $10,800,000 for FY‑27, driven chiefly by a projected $9,100,000 increase in the state equalization grant; local tax revenue was projected to rise $2,300,000 (the presenter attributed this mostly to a $900,000 increase in ad valorem collections and $800,000 for Tabith). At the same time, preliminary expenditures were expected to grow by $17,900,000, largely for salaries and benefits. The presenter said 89% of the district’s budget is allocated to salaries and benefits and highlighted an expected 2.7%…