Bibb County School Board adopts FY 2027 budget
The Bibb County School District's fiscal year 2027 budget outlines over $400 million in projected revenues and over $400 million in expenditures.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The Bibb County Board of Education voted Thursday to approve its FY2027 after a final public hearing.
Key highlights included maintaining staff salary, increasing state health costs, and reductions in operational expenditures.
The budget outlines more than $400 million in projected revenues and more than $400 million in expenditures. Board President Daryl Morton says to lower its deficit, the district is looking at several options, including increasing classroom sizes.
“We’re trying to find the best way to move this system forward financially in a good way,” he said. “So, this is one part of what we’re doing. We’re also going to be looking at consolidations, rezoning, implementing the efficiency study to do that, mid and long-term kinds of financial things we need to do to make the system work moving forward.”
Key pieces include forgoing staff step increases for FY 2027 and adding 21 state-mandated literacy coaches for kindergarten through third grade.
District 2 board member Henry Ficklin believes the budget should have been revised before approval.
“In operation go back and reduce this budget by $2 million,” 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,” he said. “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.”
Local resident Fadil Muhammad says his biggest concern is school consolidations.
“It’s such a valuable school in a neighborhood that has so much potential, a lot of stakeholders supporting it,” he said. “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.”
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,” he said. “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.”
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.
