Bibb County School Board tentatively passes FY 2027 budget
The Bibb County school districts fiscal year 2027 budget, outlines over 400 million dollars in projected revenues and over 400 million dollars in expenditures.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – On Thursday night, the Bibb County Board of Education held a public hearing on approving the fiscal year 2027 budget. Then voted to tentatively approve it after the public hearing.
Key highlights included maintaining staff salary, increasing state health costs, and reductions in operational expenditures.
The budget outlines over $400 million in projected revenues and over $400 million in expenditures. Board President Daryl Morton says to lower its deficit, the district is looking to increase classroom sizes, maintain all staff salary, and increase state health costs.
“Were trying to find the best way to move this system forward financially in a good way. So, this is one part of what we’re doing. were also going to be looking at consolidations, rezoning, implementing the efficiency study to do that mid and long-term kinds of finical things we need to do to make the system work moving forward,” said Morton.
District 2 board member Henry Ficklin believes the budget needs to be revised before approval.
“In operation go back and reduce this budget by two million dollars,” said Ficklin.
According to Morton, if the budget wasn’t approved soon, the board would have to move forward with passing a continuing spending resolution. He explains what that would mean for residents.
“I will tell you there has been talk about what we can do to save money as much as possible, so that way in the event, there is any type of tax increase we minimize what we ask the public for. We do budget amendments all the time, so if people want to pursue this process, and see if there’s something there, we can make work, they can do it and we can look at it later on,” said Morton.
Local resident Fadil Muhammad says his biggest concern is school consolidations like L.H. Williams Elementary.
“It’s such a valuable school in a neighborhood that has so much potential, a lot of stakeholders supporting it. And a long history in pleasant hill of excellence in education, and I think in our day and time, we need to have leaders that are maintaining that and continue to invest in that tradition,” said Muhammad.
Morton says passing a budget is one of the toughest challenges.
“That’s why we’re also looking at the consolidation and rezoning parts so we can be more fiscally efficient. And not only make sure that what we ask of the public is as low as we can make it, but also improving what we do in the classroom,” said Morton.
The vote did not include a millage rate increase.
The final budget adoption is required by June 30. If the budget is not approved by June 30, a spending resolution must be passed in order to continue operations as of July 1.
