The Clarke County Board of Education will hold its next monthly work session and business meeting on Thursday, May 14, beginning with the work session at 5 p.m. followed by the business meeting at 7 p.m. Board meetings are held at the Clarke County School District administrative offices building, 595 Prince Ave., Athens, in the Vernon Payne Meeting Hall. Meetings are open to the public and are also livestreamed and available for on-demand viewing on the CCSD YouTube channel. Archived meetings can be found here.
Among other items, the board is scheduled to vote Thursday on approval of a tentative budget and millage rate for fiscal year 2027 (July 1, 2026 - June 30, 2027). The district formally presented the board last month with a proposed $261 million budget for FY2027 that would be based on the board maintaining the millage rate at 18.8 mills for a fifth consecutive year. If the board gives a tentative budget and millage rate approval on Thursday, it will also set the schedule for three required public hearings that would be held prior to a final vote for approval at its June 11 meeting.
During its work session Thursday, the board will review recommended board policy updates put forward by district staff and review other items designated for action for the business meeting. Among those items are:
the installation of a classroom audio enhancement system for teachers at Gaines Elementary School that would include classroom speakers, a wearable microphone for teachers, a classroom microphone for students to share, and a device to translate instructional content for non-English speakers. If approved, Gaines will serve as a pilot school for the district to evaluate the system’s effectiveness in improving student focus, comprehension, and academic performance.
approval of contracts for roofing projects at Johnnie Lay Burks, Timothy Road, and Howard B. Stroud elementary schools, and the four buildings on the district’s HT Edwards campus (Classic City High School, Early Learning Center West, Athens Community Career Academy, and the gymnasium building utilized by the Boys and Girls Club of Athens)
renewal of the district’s nutrition services contracts for food, milk, and produce for the 2026-27 school year
final approval of the district’s proposed 2026-27 Code of Student Conduct
a proposed contract for banking services
a set of upcoming school group field trips that require overnight lodging.
The board will also:
hold an executive session between the work session and business meeting, if needed
receive and approve the district’s most recent financial reports
receive updates on district projects funded by special-purpose local-option sales tax for education (E-SPLOST) dollars
receive updates from the Interim Superintendent and Board President
receive reports from community advisory and oversight boards
recognize recent student and staff achievements
receive comments from members of the public.
The complete work session agenda and supporting documents for each agenda item can be found here. The business meeting agenda will be posted here and will be finalized following the work session. Agendas may be updated continuously leading up to the meeting time.
Public comment
The public comment period is for any agenda item or any topic relevant to the business of the board. Anyone wishing to provide public input may sign up prior to the meeting in the Vernon Payne Meeting Hall. Speakers are limited to three minutes each and must provide their name, place of residence, contact information, and the topic on which they wish to speak.