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WCPS passes $102M budget, millage rate up
Published July 19, 2009
WALTON COUNTY — Although revenue is down and taxes will bring in less, the Walton County Board of Education passed a tentative budget Tuesday for the next fiscal year.
The board approved the budget 5-0. Board members Coleman Landers and Jeremy Kilburn were absent.
The $102 million budget was able to shave off more than $2 million from last year’s budget without eliminating any programs partly due to a small increase in the millage rate.
The millage rate, combining both maintenance and operation and debt service, will be 20.45, a .51 increase from last year’s 19.94, but will take in less revenue than last year’s tax due to decreasing home values.
According to the Walton County Assessor’s Office, the average value of a home in the county dropped from $207,500 last year to $174,280 this year.
With the millage increase, the system was able to balance the budget and board members were pleased with the final result.
“I was just floored how Mr. (Harry) Lee, (director of budget and finance) and the staff were able to turn in this budget,” said Lynn Hill, District 1 board member.
Walton County Public Schools Superintendent Gary Hobbs said he was proud to present a budget that was able to cut costs while maintaining programs such as pre-kindergarten and music education.
“It was a team effort,” Hobbs said. “We were able to cut even with the cost of opening Walnut Grove High School this year.”
The system spent an additional $4.9 million in the budget with the addition of the new high school, offset in part by cuts by almost $1 million at several other schools — including Walnut Grove Elementary and Loganville High School — as well as cuts of half a million at most other schools in the system. The only school to spend more than last year is Youth Middle, which will spend $3,747 more than last year’s budget.
The system will also spend $852,092 less on transportation, $384,496 less on maintenance and $367,172 less on buildings and grounds.
The board will vote on final approval of the budget at the August board meeting.
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