Tag Archives: Budget

DeKalb Schools Estimated Budget

In April, the DeKalb Schools administration presented a 2-page estimated FY2018 budget for the upcoming 2017 – 2018 school year. On Monday, the administration will present a complete tentative budget and revenue projects.

DeKalb Millage Rates

Fiscal Year Millage Rate
2017 23.38
2016 23.73
2015 23.98
2014 23.98
2013 23.98
2012 23.98
2011 22.98
2010 22.98
2009 22.98
2008 22.98
2007 22.98
2006 22.98
2005 22.98
2004 22.98
2003 22.98
2002 22.98
2001 21.98
2000 22.23
1999 22.48

Tax revenues for the school district’s general operating fund have grown almost 30% ($213 million) over the last 4 years and are expected to reach $1 billion this coming school year.  All funds including SPLOST will bring FY2018 anticipated revenues to over $1.6 billion.
Beginning Fund Balance – This past year, the school district spent everything it took in.  The Beginning Fund Balance (Jul 2017) is expected to be $123 million.
The estimated Budgeted Expenses are currently $1.031 billion, $31 million over estimated revenues.  The Superintendent and board expect to cut that down to $1 billion over the upcoming months.  I expect the school district to spend everything it takes in again this year.
DeKalb’s Millage Rate is currently 23.38. The current estimates assumes no changes in the millage rate, but their are discussions about inching it back down toward pre-recession rates.


Where is the increase going? The FY2018 budget estimates are roughly $45 million more than the original FY2017 general operating budget.
$8 million (annualized) – January 2017 1.5% school house salary adjustment. No other estimated raises for teachers this year.
$4 million – Funds appropriated in December for deferred maintenance
$3.6 million – Austin Elementary land swap
$2.7 million – mid year charter schools funding adjustment
$12 million – mandatory TRS contribution increase


Budget Estimates 2017-2018 (FY2017)

FY2017 Mid-Year Budget Adjustment

Budget for School Year 2016-2017 (FY2017)

The Relationship Between Money and Academic Achievement

Is there a link between Academic Achievement and Funding?
Maureen Downey with the AJC writes,

Many critics of public education contend more money doesn’t matter but new research challenges that contention. A recent National Bureau of Economic Research study compared state spending starting in 1990 and found increased funding improved student outcomes.
Harnessing little-used data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress and comparing states that increased funding for their poorest schools with those that did not, researchers found,”Using nationally representative data on student achievement, we find that this spending was productive: Reforms increased the absolute and relative achievement of students in low-income district.”

Note: These results only pertain to the students in the poorest districts. DeKalb has the second highest millage rate in the state and is far from being considered a low income school district.

Schools in DeKalb have been failing in perpetuity. Spending on education in DeKalb has gone up 20% since 2014. The general fund budget in FY2014 was $788 million. The general fund budget for FY2017 is $948 million (and we are about to raise the FY2017 another $13 million).
Increased spending is not the answer in DeKalb. Students from low income families are no excuse. Many school districts across the state have a higher percentage of students on Free or Reduced Lunches (FRL), spend less money per student and perform better academically.
The following table lists all the school districts in Georgia in order of percentage of students on Free or Reduced Lunches. 72% of DeKalb Schools students are on FRL. Note how many schools (in blue) have more students on FRL, perform better academically and spend less per student to do it.

Note: Students from low income families perform better academically in smaller school districts. Big school districts fail our most challenged students.
Note: Before we go throwing more tax dollars at education perhaps we should examine how many school districts in Georgia get far better results, with even more students in poverty, while spending less per pupil. After we understand that, maybe we could look at meaningful ways the state should hold the bureaucrats accountable for the results they get.
School District Students Spending Per Student % FRL CCRPI Score
1 Baker County 313 $12,771 95+ 59.8
2 Ben Hill County 3,106 $9,100 95+ 69.5
3 Bibb County 23,557 $8,956 95+ 60.8
4 Brooks County 2,043 $9,640 95+ 62.2
5 Burke County 4,079 $11,928 95+ 65.4
6 Calhoun County 636 $11,093 95+ 52.6
7 Clay County 245 $14,690 95+ 54.1
8 Clayton County 54,317 $7,894 95+ 64.2
9 Colquitt County 9,217 $8,972 95+ 71.7
10 Crisp County 3,933 $9,370 95+ 67.3
11 Dooly County 1,326 $9,310 95+ 49.1
12 Dougherty County 14,944 $9,366 95+ 65.1
13 Early County 2,105 $9,593 95+ 70.6
14 Evans County 1,749 $9,453 95+ 66.7
15 Greene County 2,303 $12,457 95+ 73
16 Hancock County 921 $11,612 95+ 59.4
17 Jefferson County 2,627 $9,319 95+ 66.9
18 Jenkins County 1,176 $10,401 95+ 56.9
19 Lanier County 1,676 $9,208 95+ 71.2
20 Macon County 1,461 $10,329 95+ 59.6
21 Mitchell County 2,331 $10,343 95+ 71
22 Montgomery County 1,228 $8,674 95+ 56.5
23 Quitman County 305 $14,021 95+ 64
24 Randolph County 925 $11,088 95+ 59
25 Richmond County 30,319 $8,778 95+ 62.4
26 Stewart County 481 $13,377 95+ 60.4
27 Sumter County 4,585 $9,549 95+ 60.3
28 Talbot County 497 $10,868 95+ 52
29 Taliaferro County 148 $22,995 95+ 64.4
30 Terrell County 1,372 $9,726 95+ 54
31 Toombs County 2,912 $9,158 95+ 70.8
32 Treutlen County 1,126 $7,841 95+ 60.7
33 Turner County 1,316 $10,208 95+ 71.7
34 Twiggs County 786 $12,435 95+ 58.3
35 Warren County 614 $12,188 95+ 60.5
36 Wheeler County 942 $10,578 95+ 74.6
37 Dublin City 2,399 $10,405 95+ 53.7
38 Pelham City 1,401 $9,729 95+ 75.2
39 Valdosta City 7,667 $8,614 95+ 71.4
40 Tift County 7,652 $8,471 94.7 73.7
41 Decatur County 5,051 $8,839 94.7 69.3
42 Wilkinson County 1,460 $11,110 94.4 70.9
43 Crawford County 1,652 $8,789 94.2 54.4
44 Wilcox County 1,154 $9,271 93.8 72.4
45 Telfair County 1,657 $8,961 93.8 72.6
46 Wilkes County 1,515 $10,683 93.8 69.8
47 Seminole County 1,508 $9,202 92.6 76.8
48 Worth County 3,218 $8,576 92.6 67.2
49 Clarke County 12,623 $11,513 92.1 66.4
50 Atkinson County 1,657 $9,025 91.2 83.6
51 Echols County 806 $10,133 90.5 81.9
52 Johnson County 1,109 $9,043 90.2 67.5
53 Ware County 5,853 $9,437 90.1 85.4
54 Miller County 992 $9,562 90.1 58.2
55 Meriwether County 2,722 $10,207 89.7 61.7
56 Tattnall County 3,606 $8,317 88.7 71.9
57 Grady County 4,414 $8,153 88.7 67.4
58 Emanuel County 4,079 $8,396 87.6 71.4
59 Peach County 3,621 $9,054 87.5 66.2
60 Butts County 3,347 $8,501 86.9 69.6
61 Jeff Davis County 3,000 $7,973 86.7 70.1
62 Marion County 1,407 $8,384 84.8 70.9
63 Pulaski County 1,306 $9,257 84.8 68.4
64 Clinch County 1,312 $9,141 84.7 63.2
65 Elbert County 2,927 $9,349 84.5 71.7
66 Coffee County 7,489 $8,742 84.1 78.3
67 McIntosh County 1,432 $10,516 84.0 77.7
68 Berrien County 2,989 $8,858 83.5 79.2
69 Polk County 7,595 $8,418 83.2 70.1
70 Baldwin County 5,339 $8,527 83.2 58.3
71 Rome City 6,135 $8,634 82.4 72.6
72 Washington County 3,034 $9,362 82.3 70.5
73 Brantley County 3,287 $8,972 82.0 77.5
74 Thomasville City 2,692 $9,998 81.5 69.8
75 Taylor County 1,392 $9,768 81.2 68.9
76 Thomaston-Upson County 4,093 $8,896 81.1 75.4
77 Dodge County 3,105 $8,831 80.1 70.7
78 Cook County 3,127 $8,190 80.0 75.7
79 Screven County 2,170 $9,315 79.0 71.6
80 Thomas County 5,502 $8,803 77.2 75.5
81 Atlanta Public Schools 50,837 $14,713 77.2 67
82 Long County 3,360 $7,308 77.1 67.2
83 Chattooga County 2,698 $10,109 76.9 65.3
84 Murray County 7,450 $7,587 76.4 75
85 Gainesville City 8,394 $7,935 76.3 70.7
86 McDuffie County 4,069 $8,488 75.9 61.4
87 Spalding County 9,828 $8,957 75.9 67.5
88 Dalton City 7,914 $9,077 75.8 66.1
89 Irwin County 1,684 $9,352 74.9 68
90 Bacon County 2,062 $8,989 74.0 73.1
91 Putnam County 2,740 $11,229 73.7 72.5
92 Stephens County 3,958 $8,038 73.7 74.9
93 Muscogee County 31,097 $8,658 73.4 69
94 Walker County 8,747 $9,405 72.6 73.1
95 Charlton County 1,624 $9,463 72.5 68.9
96 DeKalb County 101,014 $9,552 72.3 67.7
97 Bleckley County 2,381 $8,532 72.2 84.6
98 Appling County 3,446 $9,535 72.2 70.4
99 Whitfield County 13,398 $8,548 71.6 76.1
100 Gilmer County 4,142 $9,204 71.5 71.7
101 Lamar County 2,649 $8,407 71.2 66.7
102 Candler County 2,038 $8,218 71.0 64.8
103 Rockdale County 16,311 $9,311 71.0 76.5
104 Newton County 19,275 $8,805 69.3 70.3
105 Wayne County 5,324 $8,382 68.9 77.2
106 Chattahoochee County 852 $10,326 68.5 67.4
107 Liberty County 9,520 $9,466 67.8 72.2
108 Lincoln County 1,131 $10,036 67.8 77.7
109 Jasper County 2,293 $8,741 66.9 72.7
110 Heard County 1,920 $9,402 66.6 86.2
111 Troup County 12,042 $8,954 66.5 78.3
112 Rabun County 2,176 $11,786 65.7 75.3
113 Chatham County 36,910 $10,064 65.5 65.4
114 Gordon County 6,549 $8,460 65.3 76.1
115 Banks County 2,855 $8,829 64.0 73.8
116 Marietta City 9,087 $10,271 63.9 77.8
117 Laurens County 6,235 $8,520 63.7 73
118 Carroll County 14,414 $8,358 63.6 75.7
119 Commerce City 1,533 $8,270 63.4 77.4
120 Habersham County 6,840 $9,504 63.1 76.7
121 Bulloch County 9,953 $8,917 62.9 71
122 Vidalia City 4,407 $5,075 62.8 70.9
123 Glynn County 13,021 $9,433 62.1 78.3
124 Madison County 4,764 $9,815 62.1 79.9
125 Douglas County 26,267 $8,621 62.0 78.3
126 Hart County 3,448 $9,042 61.3 73.1
127 Union County 2,692 $11,007 60.4 78.5
128 Houston County 27,702 $8,775 60.4 78
129 Floyd County 9,643 $9,771 60.2 71.4
130 Calhoun City 4,071 $7,268 60.1 73
131 Pierce County 3,521 $8,796 59.8 83.3
132 Fannin County 2,943 $10,923 59.7 77.4
133 Hall County 27,916 $8,265 59.4 75
134 Franklin County 3,651 $9,062 59.2 79.3
135 Dade County 1,995 $9,309 59.0 78.2
136 Webster County 380 $11,223 58.7 72.7
137 Bartow County 13,560 $8,684 58.6 69.1
138 Barrow County 13,306 $8,447 58.4 75.1
139 Oglethorpe County 2,131 $9,598 57.1 78.9
140 White County 3,845 $9,602 56.8 83.9
141 Carrollton City 4,901 $8,337 56.0 76.8
142 Cartersville City 4,224 $8,912 56.0 78
143 Glascock County 558 $9,886 55.6 74.5
144 Schley County 1,282 $8,253 55.2 76.9
145 Towns County 1,025 $12,180 55.0 84.5
146 Gwinnett County 180,235 $8,377 54.5 80.5
147 Pickens County 4,266 $9,839 53.4 73.2
148 Haralson County 3,356 $9,745 52.9 73.7
149 Henry County 42,125 $8,330 51.4 72.9
150 Jones County 5,267 $8,754 51.1 80.8
151 Camden County 8,797 $8,271 51.1 81.4
152 Lumpkin County 3,758 $9,070 51.0 80.7
153 Monroe County 3,822 $10,105 50.8 73.1
154 Jackson County 7,300 $8,971 50.7 75.8
155 Lowndes County 10,259 $7,891 50.3 83.7
156 Catoosa County 10,599 $9,172 50.0 77.6
157 Social Circle City 1,633 $9,212 48.7 78.4
158 Walton County 13,495 $8,468 48.6 77.1
159 Fulton County 95,248 $10,072 47.1 74.7
160 Trion City 1,390 $8,378 46.5 79.8
161 Dawson County 3,409 $10,489 46.4 82.8
162 Morgan County 3,112 $9,929 45.9 73.6
163 Cobb County 114,410 $8,893 44.1 79.7
164 Coweta County 22,019 $8,567 42.9 78.1
165 Lee County 6,185 $7,881 42.1 79.2
166 Paulding County 28,759 $8,506 41.6 74.4
167 Buford City 4,423 $9,536 40.9 86.7
168 Pike County 3,335 $7,826 40.5 70.7
169 Effingham County 11,363 $8,498 39.6 81.3
170 Harris County 5,072 $8,939 38.4 79.6
171 Bryan County 8,644 $7,261 37.4 78.8
172 Columbia County 26,033 $7,799 33.2 83.2
173 Cherokee County 41,536 $8,293 30.5 78.1
174 Jefferson City 3,316 $7,099 28.6 87.2
175 Fayette County 20,152 $9,145 26.2 81.9
176 Bremen City 2,162 $8,023 23.8 85.1
177 Chickamauga City 1,363 $7,243 22.9 83.7
178 Oconee County 7,316 $8,438 20.5 89.4
179 Forsyth County 44,529 $7,866 16.5 91.8
180 Decatur City 4,714 $11,546 14.3 86.6