Floyd County Schools is proposing to collect more money from local property taxpayers in Fiscal Year 2027 even as the district begins the year with more than $41.6 million in reserve and expects to finish with another $33.2 million still in the bank.
The proposed budget calls for collecting $49.33 million in local property taxes, an increase of approximately $1.25 million over last year’s budgeted amount of $48.09 million.
Overall, the school system expects to receive $131.2 million in new revenue, including $75.9 million from the state and nearly $6 million from other local sources. When combined with its beginning fund balance, Floyd County Schools will have access to $172.8 million during the upcoming fiscal year.
Last year’s budget projected a beginning fund balance of $49.0 million and an ending balance of $48.0 million, a decrease of just over $1 million. This year’s proposal starts with $41.6 million and projects ending with $33.2 million, a reduction of more than $8.4 million during the fiscal year and nearly $14.8 million less in reserves than were projected at the beginning of last year’s budget.
One of the biggest changes in the proposed budget is the amount being moved into capital projects.
The FY2026 budget transferred $1.5 million into the Capital Projects Fund. The new proposal increases that amount to $8 million, an increase of more than 430 percent. In addition, the Capital Projects Fund itself grows from $5 million to $20 million.
Instructional spending remains relatively unchanged, increasing by only about $68,000, from $83.99 million to $84.05 million. Other categories seeing increases include pupil services, school administration, safety and security, and student transportation, while maintenance and operations decrease by roughly $913,000.
For taxpayers, the proposal raises questions about priorities.
Despite asking homeowners to contribute an additional $1.25 million in property taxes, the district is simultaneously directing substantially more money into capital projects while continuing to maintain tens of millions of dollars in reserves.
School officials generally argue that healthy fund balances help protect districts against economic downturns, state funding changes, emergencies and future construction needs. Critics, however, may question whether increasing the local tax burden is necessary when the district continues to maintain one of the largest reserve balances in Northwest Georgia.
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A comparison with neighboring school systems shows Floyd County Schools will continue to maintain one of the largest cash reserves in Northwest Georgia. Under the proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget, Floyd County Schools expects to end the year with $33.2 million in reserves. By comparison, Rome City Schools projects an ending reserve of about $18.5 million, Gordon County Schools maintains approximately $17.2 million, and Polk County Schools has roughly $4 million in reserve. Even after spending down some of its fund balance, Floyd County Schools would still have nearly twice the reserves of Rome City and Gordon County combined and more than eight times the amount maintained by neighboring Polk County Schools. Critics argue those figures raise legitimate questions about whether the district needs to continue increasing its reliance on local property tax revenue while maintaining one of the region’s largest financial cushions.
