Dawson School Board Approves FY ’17 Budget

DAWSONVILLE, Ga. — The Dawson County Board of Education approved the FY 2016-’17 budget of $44,199,544 Monday.The millage rate is expected to be set at a rollback rate of 15.776 mils at the July meeting. It was set at 16.496 a year ago.

Executive Director of Financial Services Jamie Ulrich presented the new budget to the Board. The budget is balanced with projected revenue of $35,107,938 plus a fund balance carryover of $9 ,091,606 for a total of $44,199,544.

Local source revenue, primarily from the ad valorem tax, is expected to be $19,324,879. State source revenue, primarily from QBE state earnings, is projected at $21,778,207

The largest expenditure in the new budget is $23,087,670 for instruction, up about 2.5 percent from last year. Maintenance and operation costs went up about 6.5 percent from $3,368,206 to $3,586.320.

In addition to adopting of a new spending plan, the Board recognized Riverview Middle School for receiving the Governors Office of Student Achievement’s 2015 Bronze Greatest Gains Award, given to schools that exhibit growth in student achievement by earning a three-year average CCRPI Progress score in at least the 93rd percentile in the state

Several Dawson County High School athletic teams were recognized for excellence in baseball, boys and girls soccer, boys and girls golf and boys and girls track.

Brody Hughes made a presentation to the Board regarding Hightower Academy (HTA) and how future improvements will better meet the needs of our non-traditional students.

The Board also heard from Tracy Stanford from Mountain Education Charter High School. Stanford discussed MEC’s desire to offer options for area students who are not currently being served by DCHS or HTA. MEC is a state-chartered, SACS accredited public high school that offers programs for dropout recovery and dropout prevention. It operates year round, Monday through Thursday from 4:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. and offers rolling enrollment and flexible attendance.

The Board unanimously approved:

The adoption of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s GO Math for Dawson County Schools K-5 elementary math resource/textbook instructional materials;
Overnight travel for Dawson Co. High School volleyball team Camp/Lock-in to improve their volley ball skills;

FY ’17 Additional Budgets for Debt Service, Capital Projects, Title I, Title IIA, Title VIB, Federal Preschool, Bright Start, GNETS, JROTC, and School Food Service;

The May financial report;

The May eSPLOST report that showed collections of $561,908.16, exceeding projections by $11,908 and surpassing last year’s receipts for the same month of $527,114;

A resolution to declare piece of parcel #086 006 as surplus and unnecessary between 7/1/16 thru 6/30/18 so that the Superintendent can enter into an agreement with Southeastern Site Development for its use during the DOT bridge replacement on Hwy. 9;

Per Diem for Board members.