After months of COVID-19 delays and roadblocks, the financial picture for Henry County’s public schools is finally becoming more clear.

  A report given last week to the Henry County Board of Education revealed that no furlough days for district employees are expected during the 2020-2021 school year, and all salary schedules will be honored with steps effective once the budget is approved.

  Last year, the budget was tentatively approved in May with final adoption coming in June. That has been the typical schedule over the years, since state law mandates that a budget be in place before the July 1 start of the new fiscal year.

  This year’s activities have been anything but typical.

  When the school campuses were shut down in March due to the pandemic, the 2020 session of the Georgia General Assembly was suspended. The school district had started budget planning at the beginning of the year, but nothing could be finalized at the county level without knowing what the state’s contribution would be (state funding makes up just over 60 percent of the district’s overall budget, according to officials).

  The legislature finally reconvened and approved its new budget June 26. As expected, there are cuts to state spending on education this year, although not as severe as first expected. District officials are touting the school board’s planning over the past several months as a key reason the district is in a position now to withstand the financial impact.

  “Our board has had a strong commitment to continuing the fiscally responsible approach of balancing a budget while being able to put back money into the district’s fund balance, or reserves,” said board chair Josh Hinton. “Two of our core beliefs and commitments center around student learning and a valued professional workforce. Those two components constitute the focus of our fiscal planning.”

  Currently, the district expects to see decreases in state funding by approximately $41 million. However, a stronger than anticipated local economic outlook shows that the district will receive an increase of just over $5 million thanks to healthier local tax revenues compared to the previous year. While local revenues have traditionally accounted for roughly 39 percent of the district’s annual revenues, this year they will account for close to 44 percent.

  Known positive outcomes for the district budget are possible thanks to a decrease in the pace of spending from July 2019 to March 2020, essential spending resolutions in 2020 from April to June, and funds from the federal government’s CARES Act.

 Officials plan to present more details on these area at the Board’s first budget hearing, which is scheduled for Monday, August 10, at 6:30 p.m.

  In the absence of an approved budget, Henry County Schools has utilized a state provision to adopt emergency spending resolutions for July and August to bridge the gap until the district’s FY21 budget is formally adopted.

  “This emergency spending resolution is for essential expenditures and general operating costs until we get to an approved operational budget,” said Superintendent Mary Elizabeth Davis. “Our plan is to have a final budget adopted by the end of August. Our board has worked hard to put our district in the position it is in to ensure our ambitious pursuit is not derailed. Our students will continue to receive the highest-quality education and our workforce will continue to be valued through a commitment to compensation and benefits for their job families.”

   Budget hearings will be broadcast via the district’s website (www.henry.k12.ga.us).  Interested viewers can use the Board of Education tab and select Board Meetings to find the OnDemand option.