The Hall County Board of Education held its first of two public hearings to discuss its fiscal year 2026 budget Monday night.
The HCBOE previously announced its intention to adopt a millage rate of 14.99 mills, which is 0.33 mills below the rollback rate of 15.032 mills, a tax decrease.
According to the school system’s FY26 General Fund Budget Highlights, total revenues for the district are up by 4.55%. As of Aug. 20, 2025, HCSD saw state revenue changes increase by $6 million and local revenue changes increase by $10 million. As of July 2025, the district predicted a Beginning Balance Projection of $94 million to $95 million.
HCSD also reported that the county’s digest exemptions rose from $2.6 billion to $3.5 billion, a 36% increase over the last year.
Total expenditures for the district are also projected to increase by 2.78%. The system cited increased costs of Health Insurance Premiums, employer portions of the Teacher Retirement System, step raises for team members, additional staff, and general/custodial insurance increases for an estimated additional $14.095 million in expenditures for the 2026 fiscal year.
The school district said it anticipates utilizing roughly $6 million of reserve funds.
“We have made our expectations clear to the county that we expect exemptions to be audited for accuracy, beginning with the senior exemption, which we have concerns about,” the district said. “If exemptions have been misapplied, we will expect back taxes and interest.”
The board will hold a second public hearing on September 8, 2025, at 6:00 PM at the Hall County School District, 711 Green Street, Gainesville, Georgia 30501.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2025/8/1299262/hall-county-board-of-education-holds-first-fy2026-budget-hearing