Photo above: Mableton Elementary and Cobb school bus Larry Johnson/Cobb County Courier
By Rebecca Gaunt
The Cobb County school board approved its $1.88 billion budget for fiscal year 2027 at the May meeting.
Chief Financial Officer David Baker presented the highlights of the budget during Thursday’s afternoon work session.
The budget remained largely unchanged since the full April presentation, but Baker noted the addition of up to 19 elementary school literacy coaches due to a new state law requiring them for K-3.
It includes a salary step for all eligible employees of up to 4.6%, and enhancements for the new Cobb Innovation and Technology Academy at Allatoona High School and Georgia’s BEST Program, which pays for advanced education degrees for Cobb teachers.
There is no across the board cost-of-living salary increase, but last month the board approved using $7.6 million from the district fund balance to extend Gov. Brian Kemp’s $2,000 teacher bonus to all full-time employees.
Read more: Cobb school board approves extending state teacher bonus to all district employees – Cobb Courier
The budget also reflects a reduction of 185 teaching positions. No layoffs are required due to attrition and reassignments.
The millage rate remains at 18.7 mills. The general fund budget is based on an estimated tax digest growth rate of 4.08% and a budgeted fund balance of $6.1 million.
Budget documents are available on the district’s website: Financial Planning & Analysis
Post 2 board member Becky Sayler had questions about the implementation of the literacy coaches and how they would be placed in the district.
Superintendent Chris Ragsdale said the funds are allocated through the QBE formula.
The district has set aside $3.57 million for coaches, but there are 66 elementary schools listed on the district’s website.
“We obviously pay much higher than the state salary schedule, so 0 to 19 positions represents the range of positions we will be able to fully fund based on the funding received,” he said.
The schools in greatest need will have priority, but the district is still waiting on more details from the state, Ragsdale told the board.
Sayler said, “The title literacy coach kind of implies they’re going to be coaching teachers, but when you look at the job description in the state law, it says 70% of their time is with students. But if you only have one per school, we’ve got elementary schools with 1,200 students, so what does that look like in a way that makes sense? I’m very curious how we’re going to make this work.”
Ragsdale said the district would walk a fine line between funding and meeting needs.
Despite the public hearing scheduled for later in the day, Chair Randy Scamihorn took the unusual step of placing the budget on the consent agenda for the evening voting session. It was removed that evening and passed unanimously as an individual item after a brief discussion on a suggestion made during the public hearing to charge families to attend graduation as a cost saving measure.
“That’s just a horrible idea. That’s the worst idea in the history of bad ideas,” Ragsdale said. “This is a once in a lifetime achievement for these graduating seniors.”
View the meeting in full on the district’s website: Watch Meetings Online
Rebecca Gaunt earned a degree in journalism from the University of Georgia and a master’s degree in education from Oglethorpe University. After teaching elementary school for several years, she returned to writing. She lives in Marietta with her husband, son, two cats, and a dog. In her spare time, she loves to read, binge Netflix and travel.
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