The Columbia County School District has begun public presentations of the proposed budget for the 2025-2026 school year.
The public had a chance to give their input on the proposed budget at an early morning presentation on April 29. One opportunity remains for public input – a presentation at the Board of Education office on May 6 at 5:30 pm.
This will come before the board considers tentative approval of the budget on May 6, and final approval will be given at the May 13 regular board meeting.
Below is a copy of the proposed budget:
A list of potential budget improvements was provided at the April 29 gathering, of which 17 were named as priorities, many of which superintendent Dr. Steven Flynt said are “heavily employee-related”
Recommendations 2-17 would add a total of $5,303,253 to the budget; these expenditures would be paid for through the district’s general fund balance which is expected to be around $105 million by the end of June 2025.
MORE: Funeral route for Deputy Sikes announced
These improvements include funding toward raising pay and hiring new positions, as well as an estimated $3 million for physical security infrastructure.
A 5% cost of living adjustment has also been recommended for all benefits-eligible employees, which would be an estimated $12.2million.
Board member Katie Allen sparked a conversation around revenue projection trends over the last five years and corresponding increases in the general fund balance.
She said that while looking at annual financial reports, she found that in 2020, the district’s beginning fund balance was around $50 million, and by the end of the 2024, the fund balance was at $121 million, a difference of about $70 million that she said averages to about $14 million in additional revenue.
“I look at this picture, it equates to me that we seem to have extra money available in our budget,” Allen said.
She added that the fund balance has increased along with taxes in Columbia County, and suggested that the board analyze the budget through the eyes of the community, especially after the public response to House Bill 581.
“The takeaway would be, let’s really just make sure we’re spending a lot of time discussing some of these trends as we look at them side by side, because I was really kind of surprised at things I was seeing,” she said. “I’m sure there’s good reasons for it, I just want to be able to understand that before we move forward to approve the budget.”
According to a district statement, the majority of last year’s original fund balance revenue came from sources outside of local property taxes, such as the state through its amended budget process. The amended budget process is conducted by the state each year during the legislative session. Over the last few years, they’ve allocated more money to districts for stipends, safety and health insurances cost increases.
