The Jones County Board of Education held its third and final budget hearing for the next school year prior to adopting the 2025 budget the last week of June.
Board Chairman Ginger Bailey called the June 27 meeting to order. The meeting was advertised as a work session as well as a public hearing.
In addition to Bailey, board members Dr. Nancy Nash and Ken Gordon attended the meeting in person. Board Member Kim Washburn was ill and attended via Zoom.
An informational session was first on the agenda. Jones County School System Assessment and Federal Programs Director Charlotte Foskey presented board members with information working toward their Exemplary Board application. She started with the code of ethics, talked about norms and protocols and ended with Georgia Vision Recommendations for the JCSS Strategic Plan.
Foskey said most of the items were not changed and only need board signatures. She said the Georgia Vision project standards had been revised and noted the changes.
Budget
JCSS CFO Tonya Merritt gave the board the 2025 budget presentation for the third and final time. The total revenues were listed at $61,682,683 with the total of available sources at $82,368,525.
Total expenditures were $64,557,137. The estimated beginning fund balance for the 2025 budget is $20,685,842 and the estimated ending balance $17,811,388.
Merritt gave the estimated property tax revenue at $12,924,159 and total local revenue $15,274,159. The budgeted state revenue was $46,408,524.
The speaker explained the anticipated state revenue was almost $3 million more than last year due to an increase in staff health insurance and retirement increases.
At the conclusion of Merritt’s presentation, Superintendent Charles Lundy made the recommendation that the budget be approved.
The motion to approve the 2025 budget was made by Gordon, and the vote to approve was unanimous.
Board members also approved the Board Norms and Protocols and the Georgia Vision Resolution.
The meeting was adjourned to enter closed session.
The board’s next meeting was scheduled July 9 at 6 p.m.
