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Greene County staff outline FY2027 budget; schools face $2.3 million local shortfall
Summary
County staff told the Board of Supervisors that proposed FY2027 spending holds the school transfer flat while covering a roughly $2.3 million local shortfall by drawing on the schools' capital reserves; school leaders warned using one‑time funds for operations would create longer‑term gaps.
County staff presented the proposed Greene County FY2027 budget during a public hearing, outlining revenue sources, proposed staffing changes and a recommendation that the general fund transfer to schools be held flat at $19,526,602. "This final version does continue to fund all our essential services and offers a solution for the shortfalls in the state funding," Miss Shaffer told the board during the presentation.
Shaffer said the advertised real-estate tax rate was reduced in the proposal to $0.72 per $100 of assessed value and that one penny on the real-estate tax rate equals about $319,000 in revenue. She told the board the county planned to plug an estimated $2,300,000 school funding gap from what had been the schools' capital reserve fund, saying that the amount "covers the state shortfall" and funds most salary and benefit increases but "doesn't fund the additional teachers" or all of the pay-study requests.
School system leadership told the board they appreciated action but warned against relying on one-time sources for recurring costs. Identified on the meeting sign-up as Dr. Andrea Whitmarsh, the Greene County Public Schools superintendent said the capital fund was established in 2014 and currently holds "approximately $10,000,000." Whitmarsh cautioned: "Doing so does create a structural challenge in the budget and ultimately results in a larger gap for future years."
Kelly Greer, chair of the Greene County School Board, urged the supervisors to pursue long-term funding solutions: "Our students deserve to have qualified and effective teachers, and they need to have programs that help them to succeed," Greer said, asking for a collaborative process to identify sustainable revenue. Public commenters including school staff and local stakeholders echoed the call for a multi-year plan to avoid depleting capital funds set aside for future facilities.
