Bibb School District Faces Bigger Budget Shortfall Than Expected

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The Bibb County School District is facing an even bigger budget deficit than it thought.

On Friday, an e-mail from the state to the district’s financial officer, Sharon Roberts, confirmed the district would be losing $3 million more state dollars in the upcoming year.

That news brings the projected budget shortfall from $15 million to $18 million.

At a budget worksession Tuesday, the administration suggested possible school mergers, teacher furlough days, and a possible millage rate increase as a few ways to help offset the deficit.

The district will also consider eliminating deputy superintendent and Welcome Center positions.  The Macon Miracle’s Mandarin Chinese Program could also be on the chopping block.

The cuts and changes proposed by the administration would save the district more than $13 million, but it would still need to find other ways to climb out of its financial hole.

“Our attempt to bring forward recommendations was really to try to look at how we might be able to spread it across the system, how we might be able to minimize the direct impacts to our students and how we will still be respectful of the great contributions that the adults make to the learning that happens,” says Susanne Griffin-Ziebart, acting superintendent of the district.

The board will continue to meet weekly to discuss the budget through June.