The Gilmer County School System’s 2022 fiscal year tentative budget of $39.4 million has been approved for advertisement.
It is required by the Georgia Statue and State Broad of Education that the annual budget for the next fiscal year must be prepared by the superintendent of schools and presented to the Gilmer County Board of Education for consideration and adoption prior to the end of the current fiscal year.
“We worked through the process of creating a tentative budget and following our budget development calendar,” superintendent Dr. Shanna Downs said at the board’s regular meeting last Thursday.
“The process starts in the fall with the administrative team reviewing the needs and foreseeing changes to initiatives and plans for the upcoming year. Then we meet with principals and department heads during this time. We held our first public budget hearing March 10 as part of our board retreat to allow for public comment.”
That initial hearing provided more input for budget parameters and system-wide goals to assist the superintendent and administration in the preparation of the ensuing budget.
“With a new superintendent coming in, we have to have a plan,” said Trina Penland, Gilmer Schools’ director of finance. “We can’t wait until someone gets here and then develop a plan; school will be starting. The budget is our best estimate of anticipated revenues and expenditures.”
Gilmer County schools receive revenue from three primary sources, which come from the local (taxes), state (FTE and QBE formulas) and federal (grants) levels. Estimated revenue for FY22 has been set at $39.9 million.
Some of the system’s top expenses include instruction ($27.1 million), maintenance and operations ($3.12 million), school administration ($2.73 million), transportation ($2.23 million) and pupil services ($1.27 million).
With estimated total expenditures set at $39.4 million, the system will experience an excess of revenues over expenditures of $549,967. The 2022 ending fund balance is estimated to increase to $18.5 million.
Final budget approval and adoption will take place at the board’s next regular meeting scheduled for June 24.
If a budget is not adopted prior to June 30, a spending resolution for July must be approved prior to July 1.