SCBOE 2nd Budget Public Hearing Tonight

The Stephens County Board of Education will hold the second of three public hearings regarding the FY2025 budget tonight from 5:30-6:00 p.m. at the District Office, 191 Big A School Road. 

The third and final public hearing on the budget will take place on Tuesday, June 18, from 5-5:30 p.m., also at the District Office. 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 $51.5 million budget proposed by the BOE is 7.68%, or $3,670,910 higher than the adopted FY2024 budget of $47,787,815.

According to School System Chief Financial Officer Emily Bennett, the tentative budget includes salary increases for all employees, increases in health insurance costs, and consolidated and non consolidated federal funds allotted to the school system.  

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. 

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.

Franklin pointed out that the District would be losing ESSER Funding for the coming fiscal year. The final round of federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds is set to end soon: states must commit the funds by September 2024. She also explained that, due to declining poverty rates in the county, the School District would also be losing Title V funds, and Title 1 Funds may be impacted.  

One member of the public attended the first public hearing on the budget, where Franklin also talked about some new funding sources, and said, under the tentative FY2025 budget, the BOE millage rate would remain unchanged at 14.76.