Clarke County School District administrators are proposing to leave this year’s property tax rate unchanged, but homeowners could see a tax cut if one school board member gets his way.
Tim Denson proposed lowering the millage rate from its current level of 18.8 mills—$18.80 for every $1,000 of assessed value—to 18.2 mills by taking money from the district’s fund balance of $55 million. His proposal would reduce the district’s reserves from 22% of its $251 million fiscal 2026 budget to 20%, a level he said he’s comfortable with.
However, Chief Financial Officer Chris Griner said the old standard for local governments and school districts of keeping 15% of their annual budget in reserve is outdated because of ever-rising health insurance costs. CCSD’s current fund balance is enough to last a little over two and a half months with no revenue coming in. That’s lower than most districts, he said, and the current standard is to keep three to six months’ worth of expenses in reserve to avoid layoffs or furloughs in hard times.
The administration’s $251 million budget is $10 million higher than last year’s, but that’s not due to any new programs or positions. It’s mainly because the state is requiring local districts to contribute more to retirement programs and non-teachers’ health insurance. On the other hand, the state did boost funding for school buses in Athens by about $300,000, Griner said.
As it stands now, the budget proposed by Griner and Superintendent Robbie Hooker does not rely on money from the fund balance. CCSD took $6 million from its fund balance last year. “Our goal this year is definitely to have a balanced budget,” Griner said.
The county tax digest is not complete yet due to software problems in the Athens-Clarke County Tax Assessor’s office, Griner said, but he estimated growth of 6.5% from new development and rising property values—less than the past several years. At 18.8 mills, property taxes would bring in $144 million, up $9.5 million from last year. The state’s Quality Basic Education funding formula will contribute another $95 million, an increase of $8 million, based on enrollment of 12,135 students.
School board members debated whether to add a sustainability director and a grant-writing position recommended by a sustainability committee. Linda Davis said she supports sustainability efforts, but “I’m not a fan of adding a layer of people to teach us how to be more efficient.” Hooker said administrators are looking within the district to see who can fill those positions. However, “It’s a pretty specialized set of skills you’re looking for,” Denson said. He said the positions could pay for themselves by bringing in grants and finding ways to cut costs.
Board member Mark Evans asked how the state’s new Promise Scholarship, which awards families $6,500 to offset homeschooling costs or private school tuition, would affect CCSD. Hooker said that 21,000 families have applied for the program statewide, and he is trying to find out how many of them are in Clarke County. Evans raised the concern that families could pull their children out of public school, then re-enroll them and keep the voucher while also costing CCSD QBE funds. “I can see this getting out of hand fast,” he said.
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