The financial outlook of the Troup County school system has gotten a little brighter – the system balanced its 2009-10 fiscal year general fund budget following numerous state revenue cuts.

“We will be somewhere around break even,” Chief Financial Officer Don Miller said Monday. “We’ve managed through all the cuts that have come this year.”

When the fiscal year ended June 30, the school system had received 98.9 percent of its budget of about $100 million and had expended 98.7 percent, which amounts to an excess of about $233,000.

“I think we will see a slight positive amount,” Miller said.

The system is expected to have a reserve of $12.9 million.

Along with breaking even, the school system this week is expected to approve no change to the current millage rate of 18.85 mills, “which is the same as it’s been for the last few years,” he said.

The county tax digest decreased because of a lower value on existing property.

No hearings will be required on the millage rate.

“Hearings are only required if the value if the existing property has increased, and it actually went down,” Miller said.

Financially, the special-purpose local-option sales tax has also seen increases. Since its inception, the school system has seen collection of the tax ahead of schedule.

“For the first two years and 11 months, we still are $131,056 ahead of the projected SPLOST rate,” Miller said.

During the 2010-11 school year, the school system is banking on projections collections increasing from $922,000 per month to $968,000 to keep on schedule.

“We’re still watching very closely,” he said.

Also Thursday, the board is expected to approve:

n Spending $42,681 with Virco Manufacturing in Conway, Ark., for classroom furniture related to Callaway and Hollis Hand elementary schools and replacement desks for the system’s middle and high schools.

n Allowing Mauldin and Jenkins LLC in Atlanta to conduct financial audits and SPLOST performance reviews for fiscal years 2010 through 2012 at an annual cost of $44,000, $45,000 and $46,000, respectively.

n Spending $52,000 to hire an outside contractor for physical therapy for the 2010-11 school year. Some of the price is reimbursable through Medicaid direct billing.

n And spending $61,000, $53,000 and $29,000 for interpreting services through three outside contractors including Low Post Enterprises Inc. in Carrollton. The groups will interpret through sign language for deaf and hard-of-hearing students.