First Public Hearing for FY2025 School Budget Set Thursday
The Stephens County Board of Education will hold the first advertised Public Hearing this Thursday, May 30, to allow public comment on the proposed FY2025 Stephens County School System budget.
The hearing will be held at 6 p.m. at the school administration building, 191 Big A School Road in Toccoa.
The second public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, June 4 at 5:30 p.m., with a third public hearing scheduled for Tuesday, June 18 at 5 p.m. If there are no recommended changes, the proposed FY25 budget will be approved at the June 18 regular meeting of the Board, which will begin at 5:30 p.m. immediately following the Public Hearing.
As previously reported by WNEG News, the Stephens County Board of Education approved the proposed FY2025 budget at its regular meeting on May 21.
The $51.5 million budget proposed by the BOE includes salary increases for all employees, increases in health insurance costs, and consolidated and non consolidated federal funds allotted to the school system.
Relating to the salary increases, the proposed budget includes a state-mandated $2,500 flat rate pay increase for certified employees (teachers) and a BOE-approved, locally funded $2,500 flat rate pay increase for full-time classified employees (support staff) that will be prorated for part-time classified employees. Certified employees will also receive a two percent increase in their local salary supplement.
Emily Bennett, Chief Financial Officer, said the FY25 proposed budget is heavily impacted by a large increase in the employer-paid portion of the health insurance premiums, stating “The health insurance premiums for certified employees will increase to $21,360 annually or $1,780 monthly, for each certified employee. The health insurance premiums for classified employees will increase to $18,720 annually or $1,560 monthly for each classified employee.The total cost to the Stephens County School System for this one expense [employee health insurance premiums] is $900,000, an increase of 23 percent for FY25. Additional strains on the budget are continuously increasing maintenance and supply costs. The Teacher Retirement System (TRS) employer contribution portion will also increase by almost one percent per employee (from 19.98 to 20.78 percent) in FY25 totaling $743,000. Due to these operating expense increases, the millage rate will hold steady with no rollback.”
According to the published budget summary figures, the proposed SCBOE FY2025 budget of $51,458,725 is
- 7.68% ($3,670,910) higher than the adopted FY2024 budget of $47,787,815;
- 27.89% ($11,221,614) more than the adopted FY2023 budget of $40,237,111 and
- 33% ($12,767,496) above the FY2022 Budget of $38,691,229.
