The Cobb County School District presented on Thursday a pr0posed fiscal year 2024 budget of $1.448 billion that includes a pay raise for employees and a property tax cut for citizens.
Superintendent Chris Ragsdale said at a Cobb Board of Education work session Thursday afternoon he is proposing a reduction in the property tax rate from 18.9 mills to 18.7 mills, which amounts to a cut of $7.6 million in recurring revenue each year.
If approved by the school board, the millage rate reduction would be the first change in the general fund property tax rate for the Cobb school district in nearly 15 years.
Ragsdale’s pay raise would be a minimum of 7.5 percent for full-time employees, with a range of up to 12.1 percent.
He also is proposing to hire 11 more officers for the Cobb school district’s police department, which currently has 70 officers.
The current fiscal year 2023 budget of $1.3 billion includes what Ragsdale called “historic” raises (between 8.5 and 13.10 percent for non-temporary employees).
The board voting Thursday night for tentative adoption of the budget.
That allows the district to advertise the proposal for another hearing on May 18, during which formal adoption is scheduled. The fiscal year 2024 budget goes into effect July 1.
Details of the budget proposal, which weren’t released in advance of the board presentation, have been posted at this link.
The school millage rate produces the largest portion of a Cobb homeowners’ property tax bill, and those age 62 and over (except in the city of Marietta) can apply for a senior exemption from paying school taxes.
Chief financial officer Brad Johnson, in his presentation to the school board at the work session, said there is an estimated 13 percent growth in the Cobb tax digest.
He said the budget also would be funded with $87 million in budget reserves, an amount he said is “more than usual . . . but we think is sustainable.” The district has an unassigned fund balance of $198 million, which Johnson said amounts to 40 days of operating expense.
Ragsdale said in response to a question from board member Tre’ Hutchins about the fund balance that because of the estimated expansion of the digest, “we are comfortable” cutting the millage rate and using that much of reserve funding.
He said the additional police officers were requested in response to the deadly shootings of six people at a Christian school in Nashville earlier this month.
“Armed officers onsite help” to prevent deadly shooters, he said, adding that “it’s an absolute preventative measure.”
He has come under some criticism for his plan last year to hire armed but not certified armed guards on school campuses. Some citizens protested the vote last summer when the school board approved the plan.
Ragsdale said Thursday the new officers to be hired will be uniformed officers certified by the Georgia Peace Officers Training Council.
This story will be updated.
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