School board adopts tentative budget

Washington County School Board adopted the millage and approved the districtÂ’s tentative budget for the 2021-22 school year in budget hearing held Monday, July 26.

The Required Local Effort (RLE) rolled-back rate is 3.6359. This is the millage rate that will generate the same revenue as the prior year when applied to the current yearÂ’s adjust taxable value. The proposed millage rate, which is the minimum rate allowed to be levied in order to participate in state grant funding, is greater than the rolled-back rate.

The board adopted the RLE millage rate of 3.6980, Basic Discretionary Millage rate of 0.7480, and Capital Outlay millage of 1.1500, for a total millage of 5.596. The board also adopted a tentative budget of $101,819,524.

Anticipated revenues include approximately $6.89 million from federal sources, $26.87 million from state sources, and $35.75 million from local sources. 

Part of that revenue includes $1.22 million generated by the capital outlay tax which will help support projects such as will be used in part for construction and remodeling projects in the district, including planned improvements at the Chipley and Vernon bus barns, Vernon High School track, Vernon Middle School baseball field, expansion of the shared Roulhac Middle and Chipley High School cafeteria, and classroom remodeling at Florida Panhandle Technical College.

Appropriations and expenditures include about $22.85 million will be paid out for instruction, $29.16 million for central services, and $6.04 million for facilities acquisition and construction.

The final budget hearing and adoption will be held at 5:05 p.m., Monday, September 13.