Consideration of applicants for the impending District 8 seat vacancy, final approval of a fiscal year 2027 budget, and the placement of a new E-SPLOST referendum on the November general election ballot are among the items the Clarke County Board of Education will consider at its monthly meeting on Thursday, June 11.
The board will hold its work session beginning 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.
District 8 Vacancy
District 8 board member Nicole Hull has announced that she intends to resign from her seat, effective June 30, and the board has opted to appoint a temporary replacement to fill the remainder of her term, which expires Dec. 31. By law, a special election for the seat will take place on Nov. 3, and the person elected to the seat will take office in January 2027.
The board recently received applications for the appointment, and, during the board’s work session on Thursday, board members will have the opportunity to put forward nominees for the seat. By procedure, the board will then vote on the nominees (in the order in which they are nominated) during its business meeting.
FY27 Budget
At its May 14 meeting, the board gave tentative approval of a $263 million General Fund budget based on maintaining the district’s millage rate at 18.8 mills for a fifth consecutive year. The board will hold its third and final public hearing on the proposed budget and millage rate at 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 10, and then take a final vote during Thursday’s meeting.
E-SPLOST
The board will vote on a resolution to include a referendum for E-SPLOST VII on the Nov. 3 ballot. If approved by voters, the 1-cent special-purpose local-option sales tax would be for five years (2027-2032) and fund various capital improvement projects for the school district. It would not be an additional 1-cent tax, but a continuation of the current five-year E-SPLOST that was approved by voters in 2021. The anticipated maximum revenue generated by E-SPLOST VII is $215 million.
Other Business
During its work session on 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:
a contract for an energy audit of district facilities
a contract for structural repair of the Minor Street building on the West Broad School Complex property as part of the ongoing campus revitalization project
a contract for school nutrition paper products
approval of the district’s annual school resource officer contract with ACCGov
final approval of the 2026-27 district Code of Student Conduct
a list of personnel recommendations made by the Superintendent
the job description for a new Kitchen Equipment Technician position
renewal of the district’s property and casualty insurance coverage and workers' compensation contract with the Georgia School Boards Association
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 Superintendent and Board President
receive reports from community advisory and oversight boards
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.