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FY2027 Budget Keeps Focus on Classrooms While Holding Millage Rate Steady

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FY27BudgetBlog

 

A school district budget is ultimately about much more than numbers on a spreadsheet. It represents teachers in classrooms, buses on the road, safe and well-maintained schools, student support services, technology, instructional resources and the many people and programs that keep Baldwin County schools moving forward each day.

For the Fiscal Year 2027 Budget, the Baldwin County Board of Education has developed a $56.49 million General Fund budget designed to support those priorities while continuing the District's careful stewardship of taxpayer dollars. This ensures a return of that investment, while reducing previous expenditures by over a million dollars. 

At the center of that investment is instruction. The FY2027 budget directs more than $35.1 million toward classroom instruction, by far the largest expenditure in the General Fund. The budget also includes approximately $5.05 million for maintenance and operations, $4.08 million for student transportation, $4.11 million for school administration, and continued investments in pupil services, instructional improvement, educational media, and other student supports.

Holding the Line on the Millage Rate

HistoricMillageRate

The FY2027 budget proposal also maintains the District's millage rate at 12.07 mills, the same rate estimated for FY2026, which is the third consecutive year of the district reducing the millage and ultimately reducing the burden on tax payers. 

That continues a significant downward trend over the past several years. In FY2021, the Baldwin County School District millage rate stood at 15.60 mills. Since then, the District has progressively reduced the rate while continuing to meet the educational and operational needs of Baldwin County students.

The historical rates include:

  • FY2021: 15.60 mills
  • FY2022: 15.29 mills
  • FY2023: 14.44 mills
  • FY2024: 14.58 mills
  • FY2025: 12.40 mills
  • FY2026 estimated: 12.07 mills
  • FY2027 budgeted: 12.07 mills

The result reflects an ongoing effort by the Board of Education and District leadership to balance responsible financial management with the resources necessary to provide students with strong schools, quality instruction and opportunities to succeed. It should be noted that Baldwin County Schools now has the second-lowest millage rate in the central GA region. e

Investing Beyond the General Fund

The FY2027 financial plan also includes $10.44 million in ESPLOST funding, supporting capital projects and debt service. These voter-approved funds allow the District to make long-term investments in facilities and infrastructure without placing those expenses entirely on the General Fund.

General Fund revenues for FY2027 are projected at $56,491,162, including $22.025 million in local property taxes, $29.354 million from state sources, $1.9 million from other local sources and approximately $3.19 million in fund balance. The district is required to send $6.9 million back to the state as our local fair share, offsetting costs in other school systems across the state. 

Revenues and expenditures are balanced at $56,491,162.

Planning for Baldwin's Future

Developing an annual budget requires balancing today's operational needs with the District's long-term responsibility to students, employees and the Baldwin County community. The FY2027 budget continues that work by placing the greatest share of available resources directly into instruction while maintaining essential transportation, facilities, student services and school operations.

The District's goal remains straightforward: use public resources responsibly while ensuring Baldwin County students have the people, programs and learning environments they need to thrive.

In accordance with Georgia law, the FY2027 budget process included opportunities for public review and input through meetings of the Baldwin County Board of Education at the District Office, and those presentations and supporting documentation can be found on The District’s Finances and Purchasing page. A public meeting for the presentation of the millage rate will be held on September 3rd, at 5:30pm.