HB31: HB31 Catoosa County; Board of Education adopt a balanced budget; require

This bill amends the 1993 Georgia law that set up the Catoosa County Board of Education to add a new balanced-budget requirement. The board's yearly budget must cover all legally required spending and debt payments, and total spending from any fund cannot exceed the money expected to be available from balances, reserves, and revenue. If the General Assembly's state budget fully funds the Quality Basic Education Formula, the funding formula that determines state money for local schools, the district's budget must be balanced that year without spending down its fiscal reserves (savings). This restriction would not apply during a declared state of emergency or if the district's actual revenue falls short of what was expected for reasons outside its control.

• Adds a new section to Catoosa County's school board law requiring the board to adopt a budget that covers all required spending and debt payments each fiscal year.
• Prohibits the board from budgeting total spending from any fund that exceeds its estimated fund balance, reserves, and revenue.
• Requires the budget to be balanced without using savings (fiscal reserves) in any year the state fully funds the Quality Basic Education Formula.
• Exempts the no-reserve-spending rule during declared emergencies or when actual revenue falls short of projections for reasons beyond the district's control.
• Repeals any conflicting laws.

The Catoosa County Board of Education and school district administrators, who must follow the new budgeting rules, and by extension Catoosa County students, teachers, and taxpayers who depend on how the district manages its finances and reserves.

The change would limit the Catoosa County school board's ability to spend down savings in years when the state fully funds public school formula funding, pushing the district toward tighter budget discipline while still allowing flexibility during emergencies or unexpected revenue shortfalls.

• Section 1 adds new Section 8.1 to the 1993 Catoosa County school board Act, setting the balanced-budget requirement.
• Subsection (a) requires the annual budget to cover all legally required expenditures and debt service without exceeding available funds.
• Subsection (b) requires a reserve-free balanced budget in any year the state's General Appropriations Act fully funds the Quality Basic Education Formula (O.C.G.A. Title 20, Chapter 2, Article 6).
• Subsection (c) exempts the reserve-free requirement during declared emergencies or unexpected revenue shortfalls beyond the district's control.
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2025-01-15House Second Readers (House)
2. 2025-01-14House First Readers (House)
3. 2025-01-13House Hopper (House)

• Mitchell Horner (R, HD-003)Primary sponsor

• school district budgets
• Catoosa County
• education funding
• local government finance