001Go ahead, Dr. Sultan. Hey, thank you. We will now now call this meeting to order at 4:31 p.m. The purpose of the budget hearing is for the public to provide feedback on the tenatively adopted budget. This hearing is similar to public comment at our monthly board meeting. Therefore, members of the board will not address persons commenting or speak to the substance of any comments made during the budget hearing. Instead, a member of the administrative team will follow up with persons commenting or asking questions. The FY26 budget presentation on May on May 13th will include responses to comments or questions made tonight. Dr. Broom, please proceed with the budget hearing presentation. Thank you. Good afternoon, Chair Dr. Sultan, Vice Chair Mr. UTS, esteemed members of the board, Superintendent Dr. Whitaker. Today's budget hearing gives the community
002and all stakeholders an opportunity to provide verbal feedback and comments on the fisc year 26 tentative budget. Georgia State Law Code, Title 20, Education 20-2-167.1, specifies that each school governing body shall hold at least two public meetings for the purpose of providing an opportunity for public input on its proposed annual operating budget before adopting any budget. All public meetings with budget discussions satisfy this requirement. The district has held approximately 11 public meetings on the budget. The community has been actively engaged in the budget process and has submitted over 80 comments via the budget which remains open throughout the year. Additionally, budget discussions have taken place at over 10 board meetings and two board community meetings which consisted of open dialogue. Today, I present to you the fiscal year 26 tenative budget for all funds. Although
003the budget is aligned directly with one or more of the district's four strategic accelerators, the budget falls under strategic accelerator 4, organizational effectiveness and excellence through financial transparency. The budget process is ongoing. However, the official fisc year 26 budget adoption process began in September with a review of the budget timeline. Since that time, budget discussions have taken place each month. The budget timeline was adopted in October along with a review and discussion of fiscal year 25 school allotment guidelines. Budget parameters and priorities were were which serve as a guideline to building the budget were discussed in addition to a review of the fisc year 24 budget. At November's board retreat, discussions continued on the school aotment guidelines and the board was presented with the fiscical year 25 salary and benefit comparison to other metro Atlanta
004districts. In December, the board approved the mid-year budget amendments and adopted the school aotment guidelines and budget parameters and priorities. The external auditors presented a clean fiscal year 24 audit to the board in January. Each month the fiscal this fiscal year the board and community have been presented with various financial reports on all funds. Additionally, presentations by the tax commissioner's office and Decator's city manager were presented in February. A five-year financial review in the fiscal year 26 preliminary draft number one was also presented in February. In March, the board was presented with a summary of how federal, state, and SPLAS funds were used and the preliminary budgets for federal, state, and splice funds. General fund preliminary budget draft number two was also presented in March. A community meeting with an open dialogue for questions and
005answers was held in March last month. Last month, the board tentatively adopted the tenative budget followed by a community meeting with open dialogue. This afternoon's presentation is the second and final of two public virtual budget hearings. The board approves four budgets. The school nutrition budget is the first of the four budgets and the fiscal year 26 tenative expenditures are approximately $4 million. The projected revenue is approximately $3.4 million. Which means to balance the budget, the general fund must supplement the school nutrition budget by $728,53. The school nutrition program is required to have a fund balance equivalent to a minimum of three months of operating expenditures. The school nutrition budget will be utilized to fund personnel, salaries, and benefits and operational costs for the school nutrition program. The details of the school nutrition budget have been
006presented to the board at previous board meetings and work sessions. Special revenue funds is the second of the four budgets the board approves. The special revenue budget consists of grant funds. Grant funds are received primarily from the federal and state government. The district is anticipating a minimum of approximately $2.8 million in grant funds. The district receives state funds from the lottery for prek and federal funds for a variety of grants including title, JOTC, and Perkins. Grant funds can only be used for the specific purpose they were awarded and are budget neutral and that expenditures equal revenues. When expenditures do not equal revenues, the general fund supplements the difference as shown by the $216,10 transfer in for the prek program. The details of the special revenue budget have been presented to the board at previous board
007meetings and work sessions. Capital funds and splass is the third of the four budgets the board approves. Capital funds consists of splice funds received from the 1 cent sales tax for local purchases in Decap County. Total expenditures for fiscal year 26 for splice is approximately $9 million. Total revenue is anticipated at $1.5 million which consists of $7 million from SPL6 proceeds, $120,000 from interest, and approximately 4.4 4 million from fiscal year 25 projected ending fund balance. Fiscal year 26 ending fund balance from splice proceeds is projected to be approximately $2.4 million. Splice funds can only be used for capital projects, textbooks, and band instruments. Splice funds cannot be used for personnel expenses. The details of the splice budget have been presented to the board at previous board meetings and work sessions. The fourth and final
008budget the board approves is the general fund. The general fund is the district's primary and largest operating budget. Major revenue sources are taxes and state funds. The local taxes are based on a 5% net tax increase from fiscal year 25 and a 1/ half millage rate increase as shown highlighted in orange on the bottom table to the right. Since approving the tenative budget, the district has received the preliminary tax digest from the tax assessor's office and the preliminary net tax increase is 8.79% which is 3.79% more than the 5% on which this budget was built. This will increase revenues by approximately 2.4 million with a millage rate increase from 20.30 to 20.80. Other local consists of locally generated revenue such as tuition for the ECL and tuition from non-residents K5 students. Also included is facility
009rentals, alcohol taxes, and surplus sales. State revenue are funds received from the quality basic education program, also referred to as QBE. This revenue is based primarily on student enrollment and scheduling. Total anticipated revenue for the fiscal year 26 tenative budget is 17,534,675. Fisc year 26 expenditures are projected to be 110,649,116. Included in these expenditures are a minimum of a 3% salary increase for all non-instructional employees and a minimum of a 4% salary increase for all teachers. Both salaries and operational expenses are included in this budget. Highlighted in yellow is the total revenue and total expenditures. Expenditures are approximately 3.1 million more than revenue, which means this amount will need to be deducted from the fund balance to balance the budget as shown highlighted in blue at the top table to the right. The projected ending
010fund balance is 13.3 million highlighted in pink on the table to the right are 12% of expenditures based on a millage rate of 20.80. 80 board policy DCL requires a fund balance percentage between 4 and 15%. The next slide shows the historical trend of the millage rate from 2017 to present. In the last nine years, the millage rate was 18.66 66 at the lowest in 2017 through 2019 and 21 at the highest in 2022 and 2023. Fiscal year 26 proposed millage rate is 20.80. The tenative approval of the millage rate will take place at the board meeting on May 13th. The millage rate fluctuates based on the economy and the needs of the district. Based on a millage rate of 20.80 and a tax digest growth of 5% for property with a value of $600,000,
011the proposed 20.8 mill rate and 5% growth in the tax dig digest would increase property taxes annually by $462. For every $100,000 of property value, property owners would see an annual increase of $17. Again, the actual net taxes percent increase of 8.79% was received last week and the board will discuss the tenative mill rate at the May 13th board meeting. This slide shows all four fiscal year 26 budget. The total fiscal year 26 budget for all funds is 126,650,630. Some of the budget highlights for fiscal year 26 include funding unman unmandated insurance and TRS increases, salary increases, investments in safety and security, increased revenue from tuition for non-resident students in grades K through five, a fund balance between four and 15%, life insurance for full-time employees, stipens and signing bonuses for special education teachers. and
012PAR professionals. Three schoolbased student safety associates for schools. Three schoolbased student outcome support positions. A reduction of one central office position and the addition of one one-year term executive director position for secession planning in the deputy superintendent's office. Instructional reserve and a 1/2 mil rate increase from 20.30 to 20.80. 80. The fiscical year 26 budget is directly aligned with the strategic accelerators and the board budget priorities. This table identifies each strategic accelerator, the fiscical year 26 board budget priorities, and the fiscical year 26 budget alignment. Investments in organizational effectiveness and excellence include rebates for districts purchasing card grant for professional development and a transparent modified zerobased budgeting process where every operational request had to be discussed and justified. Investments in cultivating and retaining highquality professionals include maintaining a competitive compensation structure and tuition incentives through
013the expansions of the university pathways for staff. Investments in building and sustaining and engaging an inclusive culture include increased security, including contracted services for school resource officers with the city of Decar and a continuation of the partnership with communities and school. Investments in student success in all areas include six school-based positions allocated to the school for safety and security and equitable outcome support at the elementary level. Refresh of 6 through 12 student devices, summer schools for grades 3 through 12, and afterchool tutoring for grades 3 through 8, and support for ACT SAT prep. This list is inclusive and will definitely have a positive impact on all students. Next step for the fiscal year 26 budget, final approval of the budget and tenative approval of the millage rate at the May 13th board meeting, three public
014virtual millage rate hearings, one at 9:00 a.m. and 6:15 p.m. and the third meeting on June 20th at 6:00 p. p.m. followed by the final adoption of the property tax millage rate at 6:30 p.m. The budget book will be printed and available for public review by August 20th, 2025. The budget feedback link is also an option for providing feedback. The link can be scanned using this barcode and is located on the district's main and finance web page. This concludes the fiscal year 26 budget hearing presentation. Thank you Dr. Broom for the presentation. Um Estston, do we have anybody for public comment? Uh no ma'am. None of the attendees have uh raised their hands to speak up for public comment. Okay. Thank you. Then we'll move into adjournment. Thank you for attending this budget hearing. The
015board's next monthly meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 13th at 4:30 p.m. at the Wilson Center. This meeting is adjourned at 4:47 p.m. Thank you very much.