State warns Dublin City Schools about finances, orders fixes and offers help
State sets deadlines, advances QBE funds to cover payroll and assigns on-site advisor as district works toward a balanced FY27 budget
DUBLIN, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – A report this week from the Georgia Department of Education says Dublin City Schools remains in financial crisis, with state officials warning that the district still lacks qualified staff to manage its budget and continues to rely on advance state funding to meet payroll.
The report, published Wednesday, outlines the state’s ongoing Financial Improvement Plan for the district. State School Superintendent Richard Woods wrote that while Dublin’s cash position has shown signs of improvement, “Dublin City Schools does not currently have financial staff in place who are well-trained and well-positioned to navigate this crisis.”
The Georgia Department of Education confirmed it has assigned a full-time Financial Review team member and two full-time financial consultants to Dublin City Schools until the district can operate independently. The report also said the department will request another month of advance state funding—about $1.5 million for October—to ensure employees are paid. Woods said these are advance payments of future Quality Basic Education (QBE) earnings, not additional funding, and said the district “must prepare its future budgets accordingly.”
According to the report, Dublin’s cash flow projections now show a potential positive balance by the end of fiscal year 2026, though the state has not yet verified those figures. Woods said Dublin must still complete an amended FY26 budget, reconcile State Health Benefit Plan payments and hire a full-time finance officer. Woods said teachers, staff and taxpayers “should not bear the costs of this crisis” and that the department is helping connect affected employees with positions in nearby districts.
The new report follows a series of warnings sent to the district since August, when the state first got involved over concerns about unpaid insurance contributions, incomplete audits and a multimillion-dollar budget deficit.
On October 23, 41NBC reported that the Professional Association of Georgia Educators filed a lawsuit in Laurens County Superior Court against Dublin City Schools and its Board of Education. The suit, filed on behalf of teacher Ashley White, accuses the district of breaching her contract during ongoing budget cuts and asks the court to reinstate her for the remainder of the 2025–2026 school year. PAGE officials said they are working to protect the rights of educators affected by the district’s reductions.
Two days earlier, on October 21, the district announced $3 million in new budget reductions as part of its Fiscal Year 2026 Deficit Reduction Plan to close a reported $13 million shortfall. Interim Superintendent Marcee Pool said those cuts are “vital to securing the long-term stability of Dublin City Schools.”
As part of the same plan, the Board of Education voted October 27 to shorten the 2025–2026 school calendar by ten days, including six instructional days for students. The approved reduction dates are November 21, February 12, February 17, March 13, April 3 and May 11 for students and staff, along with December 18, January 5, March 20 and May 26 for staff only.
Interim Superintendent Marcee Pool said in a statement earlier this month that the changes are part of an effort to “balance the district’s budget and restore fiscal health.”
The Georgia Department of Education’s report says the district is now expected to submit an amended budget and complete its FY23 audit while continuing to work with the state’s Financial Review team.
