Like Cobb County Government, the Cobb County School District has announced its intent to opt out of a new homestead exemption law designed to cap local property tax rates.
The Cobb Board of Education must hold three public hearings as a result, and they have been scheduled as follows:
- Feb. 6, 11:30 a.m. and 6:05 p.m.
- Feb. 13, 1;30 p.m.
The hearings will take place in the board room of the CCSD central office, 514 Glover St., Marietta. At a Feb. 13 voting meeting at 7 p.m., an agenda item will call for a vote to opt-out of the new law.
HB 581 was passed by the Georgia General Assembly in 2024, and state voters approved enabling legislation in a November referendum to establish a statewide floating homestead exemption.
Those exemptions apply to counties, school districts and municipalities, and would place a cap on property tax rates based on an inflation rate set by the Georgia Department of Revenue.
The law was passed following concerns about dramatic property tax rate increases due to soaring assessments during periods of high inflation.
Like Cobb government, however, Cobb schools have stated that its current exemptions are more beneficial to parents and taxpayers.
The biggest chunk of local property tax rates in Cobb are for school taxes. In Cobb, homeowners over the age of 62 (outside of the city of Marietta) can apply for a senior exemption from school taxes. They must apply annually.
The current fiscal year 2025 Cobb school district budget is $1.8 billion, which did not roll back tax rates despite a spending increase from the previous year.
The district’s announcement last week claimed that it would lose an estimated $43 million under the new homestead exemption law, which “could force the District to cut teacher salaries, increase class sizes, or otherwise harm student learning.”
The district said that Cobb’s per capita spending is around $11,000 per student.
“To recommend any process that would most definitely result in the Cobb County School District losing funds, which would be used to educate Cobb children, would not be a responsible recommendation,” Cobb school superintendent Chris Ragsdale said at a Cobb school board meeting last Thursday.
“We have one of the best School districts in the nation – academically, athletically, musically, and artistically. We are consistently recognized in each of these areas. Parents expect a high-quality education when sending their students to a Cobb school; that is exactly what we will continue to provide.”
Related:
- Some Bells Ferry students to relocate for construction
- Pope, Sprayberry, Murdock construction projects approved
- Cobb schools announce 2024 commencement schedule
- Chastain, Cristadoro chosen for Cobb school board leadership
- Sawyer Road ES media center, library get Peach Bowl makeover
- Brumby, Nicholson, Wheeler teachers named Cobb Tank winners
- No injuries reported in East Cobb school bus crash
- East Cobb schools pace Cobb 2024 CCRPI scores
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