HALL COUNTY, Ga. — Citing increased spending needs and vastly lower tax revenue, the Hall County Board of Education’s latest budget planning documents show the district will be nearly $10 million in the hole for the coming school year.
That number comes from the fiscal year 2027 budget presentation put together for the Hall County school board.
The district’s budget summary says their current projections show that if the millage rate in the Hall County School District does not change, their budget will come up short.
If the millage rate remains unchanged, at 14.99 mills, the 2027 budget will have a $9.8 million deficit.
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“Based on current projections, a millage rate increase will have to be considered to balance the FY 2027 budget and maintain educational services for students,” the district said in a budget presentation.
District officials said that they remain committed to keeping their educational programs at a high quality and attracting and retaining exceptional teachers and staff but the next year’s budget “continues to be shaped by significant legislative changes affecting local property tax revenues, rising operational costs and ongoing state requirements.”
Officials said recent legislation to reset homestead property values to the levels they were in 2023, and capping the annual property value increases at 3% has “had a significant effect on school district revenue.”
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In terms of immediate impacts on the current fiscal year, Hall County Schools’ budget had to account for an $11.1 million drop in property tax collections.
The district projected it would have to tap its reserves to the tune of $6 to $10 million, and the final impact on their reserves won’t be known until June’s expenditures are finalized.
Additional losses could also be on the horizon if local legislation passed in 2026 is approved in November.
The legislation would lower senior property tax exemption eligibility by four years, from 70 to 66, leading to a potential $9 to $12 million decrease in revenue, according to the school district.
Should the millage rate increase alongside these reductions, the losses would be higher, district documents said.
The loss of revenue comes as expenses increase in every category presented by the school district.
State health insurance costs, salary increases, literacy coaches now required by state law, retirement system funding increases, higher fuel costs, and other expenses will result in an $11.7 million increase that the district has to pay.
Meanwhile, the district says revenue has only gone up $4.6 million, not accounting for the potential referendum impacts, if voters pass it.
Should the Hall County Board of Education pass the FY2027 budget, they’ll need to engage in a series of public hearings before they can vote to increase taxes to make up the funding gap.
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