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On Monday evening, Dr. Scott Burckbuchler, Chief Financial Officer for the Troup County School System, gave a brief overview of the FY25-26 proposed budget. The proposed budget, which Burckbuchler emphasized is likely to see changes as state funding has not been finalized, covers from July 1, 2025 to June 30. 2026.

The proposal includes operating revenues of $170,420,900, which is an increase of $6,755,505 or 4.1% over the current budget. State revenues are expected to drop by $3.1 million to $90.2 million.

“That is significant news, and that has an impact in terms of our overall budget proposal,” Burckbuchler said. “At this point, we do not have final numbers. These are projected numbers, so they are subject to change.”

Burckbuchler said the expected tax digest is anticipated to bring in $76.2 million in local revenue, an increase of $7.8 million. 

“There might be additional revenues that will accrue,” he said. “We’ll see when the final digest is presented. That is a process that takes a lot of time in terms of the assessor’s office, and then information comes out of the tax office. These numbers might change in terms of other revenue.”

TCSS anticipates using a little bit less than $500,000 in fund balance. Burckbuchler said that if revenue increases, they would not necessarily use the fund balance. 

Expenses are the same as the revenue number at $170,420,900.

Burckbuchler said the budget does include an additional step to salary schedules.

School Superintendent Dr. Rachel Hazel explained that TCSS  currently has a salary schedule that consists of 20 steps. Employees start at zero, and each year they get a step raise. It’s a local pay raise and outside of any state raises, she said. But once employees get to 20, they’re stuck there unless the state gives a raise.

“What this represents is moving everyone who is eligible for a step increase up a step. We are adding a Step 21 for those who are at Step 20, so that they will also see an increase,” Hazel said. “We’re trying to look long term, we would like to eventually have a 25-step scale, but one step a year is about where we can go at this point.”

“That helps us to hopefully retain our experienced teachers,” she said.

Burckbuchler said the reduction in state funds resulted in the elimination of $3 million in bus replacement funds that they were planning. Some buses were ordered from the current budget, which will still be coming in. If there is money for more, they can be added back, Hazel said.

“The goal would be eventually to return that back to the budget so that we have it on a recurring basis in the operating budget,” Burckbuchler said.