CLARKESVILLE — The Habersham County Board of Education on Monday approved advertisement of its proposed fiscal year 2027 budget, moving the spending plan into the final stage before adoption next month.
The proposed FY27 budget includes approximately $129.6 million in projected revenues and about $131.7 million in projected expenditures across all funds, resulting in a projected deficit of about $2 million.
The district’s General Operating Fund — the primary budget used for day-to-day operations — projects about $102.7 million in revenues and roughly $105.7 million in expenditures. Under the proposal, the General Fund balance would decrease from approximately $11.16 million at the beginning of the fiscal year to an estimated $8.18 million by June 30, 2027.
State funding remains the district’s largest revenue source at approximately $65.5 million. Local revenue is projected at about $49.6 million across all funds, while federal revenues are projected at roughly $12.3 million.
Student instruction remains the district’s largest expense category at about $73.5 million. Other major expenditures in the proposed budget include:
- Facilities and maintenance services: about $9.15 million
- Transportation: about $8.49 million
- Debt service payments: about $7.6 million
- School administration and support: about $7.16 million
- Pupil services: about $6.2 million
The proposed budget also includes approximately $8.25 million for the School Nutrition Program and about $2.2 million in transfers from other funds.
Habersham County resident Dale Green was the only citizen to speak during the district’s required public budget hearings. Green questioned school system salaries and criticized what he described as long-term growth in education spending.
“The family income in Habersham County is $70,000 median income,” Green said. “How many employees by themselves on this budget make over that?”
Green also questioned superintendent compensation, saying, “I know for a fact that we’re one county, and yet our superintendent makes as much as the governor of the state, just about. How do you justify that?”
Green said he supported the county’s Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, or ESPLOST, when it was first approved because voters were told schools and teachers needed additional funding.
“We didn’t know it was going to be permanent,” Green said. “Here we are 30, 40 years later.”
School officials have previously said ESPLOST revenues are restricted to capital projects, technology, transportation, facilities and debt service and cannot legally be used for general operating expenses or salaries.
Green closed his remarks by criticizing what he described as excessive spending in the district budget.
“Our budget still is very overinflated,” Green said. “There’s enough pork in there to start several barbecue restaurants.”
According to the district’s FY27 budget calendar, the proposed budget will be advertised May 13-15. Final adoption of the FY27 budget is scheduled for the board’s June 15 meeting.
The calendar also calls for advertisement of the 2026 tax digest and five-year levy history on July 1. The Habersham County Board of Commissioners is scheduled to adopt the school system’s millage rate July 27.
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