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School budget presented; finance committee moves June voting session and cancels two meetings
Summary
Bradley County Schools presented the proposed FY2026–27 budget at recent committee and work sessions; the county Finance Committee recommended and the Commission approved moving the June voting session to June 26 and canceling the June 22 work session and July 6 voting session.
Bradley County Schools presented its proposed Fiscal Year 2026–27 budget in a May work session and at the county Finance Committee, where officials and commissioners asked questions about enrollment growth assumptions, insurance costs and scheduled capital projects.
Finance Director Ellen Smith told commissioners the draft budget is balanced using a portion of the undesignated fund balance and that the school system expects about 3% enrollment growth for planning purposes. Director of Schools Dr. Linda Cash told the committee that the mayor supports the growth projections and that the district would use fund balance if actual growth falls short of projections.
Commissioners pressed for clarification about capital projects cited in the attachments to the consent packet: the Hopewell Elementary addition (a reimbursement to Fund 189) and planned work on the Bradley Central track were discussed. Smith said Hopewell’s expansion is proceeding; Dr. Cash confirmed competitive teacher salaries and relatively stable staffing, and she estimated six to 10 students may have left for the statewide voucher program this year.
In committee action tied to timing for the budget approval process, Finance Committee Chair Milan Blake said the committee unanimously voted to change the FY2026–27 Budget Preparation Calendar. The commission adopted the calendar amendment on May 18: the voting session originally scheduled for June 29 will be held instead on Friday, June 26 at noon, and the June 22 work session and the July 6 voting session are canceled.
Why it matters: shifting meeting dates accelerates the timetable for a final budget vote and consolidates public review steps. County and school officials said the proposal aims to streamline the schedule while leaving required public notices intact.
What’s next: the Finance Committee recommendation has been adopted by the full commission; county staff will publish the amended calendar and include the school budget on the June 26 voting session agenda. Finance Committee minutes and a series of budget amendment forms were recorded as attachments to the May 18 minutes.
