Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the District Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Whitfield County school board adopts $41.7 million FY2026–27 budget, keeps millage flat
Summary
The Whitfield County School District Board of Trustees on June 22 approved a $41,656,362 operating budget for FY 2026–27 with no change to the millage rate, a $2,000 teacher pay bump, targeted position reductions yielding $1.9 million in savings, and a $350,000 one-time retention bonus funded from reserves.
The Whitfield County School District Board of Trustees voted June 22 to adopt the district’s FY 2026–27 operating budget of $41,656,362, approving the plan by voice vote after a presentation by Chief Financial Officer Mr. Street.
Mr. Street said the proposed budget uses conservative House Ways and Means revenue projections while noting the final state numbers remain unsettled: “The final budget will land somewhere in between those two numbers,” he said. He told the board the district is projecting a loss of about 115 students and has identified roughly $1.9 million in savings from position reductions and transfers to balance expenses.
Under the adopted plan, the district will increase the teacher salary schedule by $2,000 (the presentation stated the new entry-level salary aligns with a $50,500 minimum on the state schedule), provide a 2% increase plus step for bus drivers, and move some positions (nurses and three RBHS counselors) from Medicaid funding to the general fund pending billing outcomes. The budget relies on about $3.5 million of fund balance to balance operations; the CFO noted a separate one-time retention bonus for full‑time staff (approx. $350,000) will be charged to fund balance as a nonrecurring item, bringing total drawdown to roughly $3.8 million.
Board members asked staff to clarify who qualifies for step increases; Mr. Street said eligibility is tied to working 152 days in the year. He also described limited opportunities to reduce staffing after contracts had been issued but listed staff transfers, unfilled vacancies, and other adjustments as sources of savings.
The board then moved and seconded the budget adoption. Board member Annie made the motion to approve the FY 2026–27 budget in the amount of $41,656,362; the motion passed by voice vote.
The board also approved related administrative items on the same agenda, including the FY 2026–27 payroll calendar and a one-time retention bonus handled outside the recurring operating budget. The board will monitor revenue and enrollment as state budget numbers finalize and revisit planning as needed.
Votes at the meeting were taken by voice; no individual roll-call tallies were recorded in the transcript.
