HB 31: Catoosa County; Board of Education adopt a balanced budget; require

This bill changes the 1993 law that set up the Catoosa County Board of Education. It adds a new section requiring the board's yearly budget to cover all legally required spending and debt payments without spending more than the district's expected funds, reserves, and revenue. If the General Assembly fully funds the Quality Basic Education Formula (the state's main K-12 funding formula) in a given year through the state budget, Catoosa County's school budget must be balanced that year without using savings, known as fiscal reserves. That rule would not apply during declared emergencies or if the district's actual revenue falls short of what was expected for reasons outside its control. All conflicting laws would be repealed.

• Adds a new section to the 1993 Catoosa County school board law requiring the board's budget to cover all required spending and debt payments without exceeding expected funds and revenue.
• Requires the budget to be balanced without spending down savings (fiscal reserves) in any year the state fully funds the Quality Basic Education Formula.
• Creates exceptions to the no-reserves rule for declared states of emergency or unexpected revenue shortfalls beyond the district's control.
• Repeals any existing laws that conflict with these new budget requirements.

The Catoosa County Board of Education and school district administrators, who must follow the new budgeting rules, as well as students, teachers, and taxpayers in Catoosa County whose school funding decisions would be shaped by these requirements.

The change limits how much the Catoosa County school board can rely on savings to balance its budget when the state fully funds K-12 education, which could affect how the district plans spending in years when state support is strong versus years with revenue shortfalls or emergencies.

• Section 1 adds new Section 8.1 to the 1993 Catoosa County Board of Education Act, requiring a balanced budget covering all legally required expenditures and debt service.
• Subsection (a) caps total spending from any fund at the estimated fund balance, reserves, and revenues for the year.
• Subsection (b) requires the budget to be balanced without using fiscal reserves in any year the state fully funds the Quality Basic Education Formula under O.C.G.A. Title 20, Chapter 2, Article 6.
• Subsection (c) exempts the district from the no-reserves rule during declared emergencies or unexpected revenue shortfalls beyond the district's control.
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

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

• Mitchell Horner (R, HD-003)Patrocinador principal

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