The Clarke County Board of Education tentatively approved maintaining the current school district millage rate at its May 14 meeting.
A $263 million general fund budget was proposed for fiscal year 2027, which would keep the millage rate at 18.8 mills for a fourth consecutive year.
In accordance with state law, the school board will hold three public hearings starting June 1 due to the proposed millage rate being higher than the “rollback” rate, the rate that would produce the same amount of taxes collected in fiscal year 2026.
There is an expected increase of 4.25% for property taxes levied in 2026, and while the millage rate would remain the same under the tentative budget, that would in effect increase overall property-tax collections by .767 mills.
All public presentations and hearings will be held in the Vernon Payne Meeting Hall at the Clarke County School District administrative offices building, located at 595 Prince Ave., Athens.
Anyone who wishes to speak may sign up in the meeting room before the meeting begins. The meeting schedule for the budget hearings and millage rate hearings is as follows:
- 6 p.m. Monday, June 1 – budget presentation and millage rate hearing
- 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 2 – millage rate hearing
- 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 10 – budget presentation and millage rate hearing
All three hearings will be livestreamed and available for on-demand viewing on the CCSD YouTube channel. The board is scheduled to give final budget approval and set the millage rate at its next scheduled regular meeting on Thursday, June 11, at 7 p.m. in the Vernon Payne Meeting Hall.
