UPDATE, 5:14PM - Thursday's meeting of the Clarke County Board of Education has been cancelled, according to the district.
The Clarke County Board of Education will grill district administrators on the school district’s proposed budget at a Thursday evening meeting.
The yearly budget process for the school district starts with a draft budget from district staff. Board members got a presentation on that proposal last week, and tonight, they’ll be asking staffer in-depth questions about the budget.
Among the highlights in the draft budget are significant pay raises for the lowest-paid district employees, a $3,500 increase in the starting salary for teachers, and the hiring of more social workers and psychologists. District Chief Financial Officer Byron Schueneman also opened the door for a possible millage rate decrease, citing the potential of extra revenue from skyrocketing local property values.
The Board is set to approve a tentative budget, likely similar to what district officials have proposed, at a May 12 meeting. Following that, the district will hold at least two public meetings for members of the community to weigh in, before passing a final budget in early June.
