DeKalb schools adopt $152M budget for 2025

DeKALB – Highlights budgeted by DeKalb schools for 2025 include $1.8 million for a new elementary school, $290,000 for an elementary school classroom and personnel costs.

The DeKalb School District 428 board approved its 2025 budget Tuesday without community opposition and with unanimous support from the board.

The new fiscal budget received its first OK at the school board’s Aug. 20 meeting.

The district’s spending plan includes about $152 million in revenue and plans for about $151 million in expenditures, documents show.

Under the 2025 budget, the district will have a fund balance of 75,021,887, or 49.64%, which exceeds its school board policy of 20% to 30%, officials said.

The budget allocates funding for, among other things, the removal and replacement purchase of a Littlejohn Elementary School mobile classroom for $290,000; and $1.86 million for Dr. Leroy A. Mitchell Elementary School, which tentatively is scheduled to open in 2025. The elementary school in total is expected to cost the district about $33 million.

In November, voters will have an opportunity to weigh in on whether to allow DeKalb County schools to initiate a new sales tax. If passed, the district could have a new revenue source to account for in its budget going forward.

The referendum for a DeKalb County-area school districts County School Facility Occupation Tax will be in front of voters countywide, not just DeKalb. If approved, officials have said the sales tax could bring in $10 million to be distributed to public schools relative to their student population size.

Armir Doka, the district’s director of business and finance, said the new tax, if approved, would allow the district to pay referendum bond debt earlier so that interest can be saved.

“We are looking to use this county sales tax to directly affect property taxpayers but also future property taxpayers,” he said.

No residents raised questions or made comments during a scheduled public hearing on the district’s spending plan.

Doka heaped praise on where the district stands financially.

“We are in good financial position,” Doka said. “We are just committed to ensure that all our resources are placed right, and also we’re living within our means.”

The school board passed the budget in a 4-0 final vote during the meeting, with members Fred Davis, Amanda Harness and Vanta Bynum absent.