Clarke County School Board Considers Steady Millage Rate Amid Rising Property Taxes
The Clarke County Board of Education has taken a step toward maintaining its current millage rate for the school district, following a tentative approval at the May 14 meeting. Despite an anticipated rise in property taxes, the board aims to keep the millage rate steady at 18.8 mills for the upcoming fiscal year 2027.
With a proposed general fund budget of $263 million, the board seeks to keep the millage rate unchanged for the fourth consecutive year. However, this decision comes with the requirement to hold three public hearings, starting June 1, as the proposed rate exceeds the “rollback” rate. The rollback rate is defined as the rate that would generate the same tax revenue as the previous fiscal year, 2026.
Property taxes are expected to increase by 4.25% in 2026. Although the millage rate remains the same in the tentative budget, this will effectively raise property-tax collections by .767 mills.
Public engagement is encouraged, with all hearings scheduled at the Vernon Payne Meeting Hall, located at 595 Prince Ave., Athens. Interested speakers can register before the meetings, which are organized as follows:
- 6 p.m. Monday, June 1 – budget presentation and millage rate hearing
- 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 2 – millage rate hearing
- 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 10 – budget presentation and millage rate hearing
These sessions will be available for live streaming and on-demand viewing on the CCSD YouTube channel. The final decision on the budget and millage rate will occur at the board’s next regular meeting, scheduled for Thursday, June 11, at 7 p.m. in the same venue.
