Board of Education talks budget, graduation

HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. – The Houston County Board of Education goes over high school graduations, scholarships, summer meals and budget topics.

The meeting started with an introduction of their visitors, the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts. Kim McCall honored the district by giving them a certificate of achievement for excellent financial reporting. The criteria to receive this include:

“Timeliness… good quality audit documentation… the number and significance of deficiencies… a clean unmodified opinion,” said McCall.

After a unanimous approval to adopt their agenda and approve the minutes from their last meeting, they moved on to the superintendent’s report. Dr. Mark Scott offered a brief congratulations to the over 2,000 seniors who graduated this year before talking about some things the district has done to benefit students.

The Houston Association of Educational Office Professionals has given $1,000 to 45 seniors spread across the district’s five high schools. The district is also offering a summer meal program at Huntington Middle, Northside High and Perry High from May 30 to July 21 from 8 a.m. to noon.

To conclude his report, Scott wished district 2 member Lori Johnson an early happy birthday.

After this, the board moved on to new business, making several approvals:

– The proposed budget for fiscal year 2024. The total tentative proposed budget for the school district in the fiscal year 2024 has a total revenue of $522 million, expenditures of $548 million and an ending fund equity of $133 million.

– Setting the millage rate to be 13.183 mills. It was tentatively approved, meaning that it will receive final approval once all information is given at a later meeting.

– Amendments to the fiscal year 2023 budget, meant to more accurately reflect revenues and expenditures.

– The April 2023 monthly financial statements. During this, they also went over the preliminary financial information for May 2023

– Purchasing reports. After which Dr. Scott made the comments, “One of the things that we’re trying to do is align the subscriptions with the fiscal year, so you will see us having these routinely in June… The other thing was… we plan to bring Chromebook replacements in the [fiscal year] 2024 budget,”.

– Adoption of new math textbooks for the physical and digital resources of teachers. In addition, two workbooks will be provided to kindergarten through eighth-grade students and new ones will be provided each year for six years. High schoolers will get a class set of these new textbooks, while all students will receive an online subscription for home.

– Personnel reports detailing who was hired, who resigned and what positions have vacancies. There were 24 retirements and resignations this year compared to 38 last year. New hires totaled 44 this year versus 46 last year. Notably, the current certified vacancies are 12, compared to last year’s 65, although this isn’t reported in the document as it was published before the meeting.

– The payroll specialist and warehouse specialist job descriptions were revised.

– Amendment #4, for design professionals Altman & Barrett to renovate Condor Talbert fieldhouse and site renovations, as well as interior renovations that will occur next summer for Centerville Elementary, Tucker Elementary and Westside Elementary.

– Revised the scope of a re-key project for doors due to over 750 locks being too old and unable to accept the new key they are moving to.

There were no persons who wished to address the board, so the public meeting ended as they began their executive session.

For any wanting to watch these meetings, they are live-streamed on the Houston County School District YouTube channel as the meeting transpires, then published after the meeting on the same channel.

HHJ News