One more public budget forum will be held this week by the Cobb County Board of Education.

That forum will be 1:30 p.m. May 17 in the Board Room, Cobb County School District office, 514 Glover St., Marietta.

Then that same day will be the board meeting at 2 p.m. and the board business meeting at 7 p.m. when the Fiscal Year 2019 is scheduled to be adopted.

Keeping the same millage rate of 18.9 mills, this balanced budget of $1 billion contains:

  • $7.8 million in the fund balance,
  • an increase in the allotment pool from six to 19 positions (1 teacher or 2 parapros for each allotment) in case additional students arrive,
  • a salary step for employees that can be from 1.5 to 3 percent,
  • a 1.1 percent bonus for non-238-day employees,
  • two extra days instead of a bonus for 238-day employees and
  • 1.1 percent raise for all permanent employees from $10.2 million restoration in austerity cuts from the state.

These raises will take effect on July 1.

Since 1983, CCSD has lost $600 million from the state in austerity cuts, said CCSD Chief Financial Officer Brad Johnson.

Another loss in the next fiscal year - from July 1 to June 30, 2019 - will be $101 million due to the tax exemption for ages 62 and older, he added.

Information: cobbk12.org/centraloffice/finance/2019Budget, cobbk12.org/CentralOffice/finance/2019Budget/FY19TentativeBudgetRolloutOverviewGeneralFund.pdf.

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Peggy Harris (foreground) stocks the shelves at Sandy's IGA, which is the only grocery store in town, Tuesday, October 7, 2025, in Sparta. Hancock County has one of the highest rates of childhood food insecurity in the country. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC