The Board Brief newsletter is a summary of the information presented and actions taken at Bibb County Board of Education meetings for Bibb County School District in Macon, Ga. Review meeting agendas, district policies, Board member contact information and more on Simbli at https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/Index.aspx?S=4013.

Following executive session, Board members voted to approve an administrative appointment. To view action items, click here.

• Dr. Chanelle Sweet-Dixon, Hartley Elementary School Principal

Chief Financial Officer Eric Bush presented Board members with an updated preview of Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Budget planning. To view the presentation, click here.

Superintendent’s Budget Priorities for FY 2026

The presentation began with a reminder of "who" we are and "how" we serve and support the Macon-Bibb community. The primary purpose of public education is to provide a free and equitable education to all children, regardless of their background, to prepare them for a successful life.

Priorities for advancing the impact on student growth and success:

• Recruitment/Retention: Continue to offer competitive salaries and refine salary schedules
• Literacy: Engage programming for sustained impact on student literacy outcomes, human and otherwise
• Attendance: Deepen efforts to improve attendance with an emphasis on chronically absent families
• Leader/Teacher Quality: Improve staff effectiveness through coaching and feedback provided to classrooms and building-level leadership.

Some of the proposals for consideration in the FY 2026 Budget include:

• Provide a 3% Certified Increase and implement the recent School Leadership and Classified Employee Salary Schedule. Ensure that salaries for both Certified and Classified personnel are competitive and allow for greater retention.
• Continue professional learning and programming for sustained impact on literacy and numeracy outcomes, teacher development and improvement, and leader growth and development.
• Sustain efforts to increase student literacy and teacher efficacy resulting in improved Lexile scores and the ability of all BCSD students to read on or above grade level.
• Continue providing access to literacy and numeracy tools (Amira, Wonders, and LETRs) designed to increase and enhance learning outcomes matched with state expectations around the Science of Reading.
• Create a K-5 English Language Arts Coordinator position with the goal of increasing support for elementary teachers and leaders to accelerate student literacy improvement.
• Hire a truancy specialist to focus on community efforts and support for improving attendance. Also, use this role to strengthen truancy efforts districtwide in collaboration with county authorities.
• Create a position to increase leadership and academic coaching quality in order to improve school leadership and teacher quality, leading to improved school outcomes.
• Allocate for coaching support for each school.

The presentation also underscored the impact of mandated increases on the district's budget, including increases in employee health insurance and retirement contributions.

Next Steps

• A tentative budget is adopted in May. This is currently proposed for action at the Board's meeting on May 15, 2025. Two public hearings will then be held in June for public input into the budget. These public hearings are currently proposed for Tuesday, June 10, 2025, at 5 p.m. and Tuesday, June 17, 2025, at 5 p.m.
• The Board may request final revisions prior to final adoption in June.
• Following the public hearings, the Board must adopt a final budget by June 30, 2025, or adopt a spending resolution until a budget has been adopted for the next fiscal year beginning July 1.
• Tax millage rates are determined, and public hearing meetings are held if required by law.

To review information from the Called Board Meeting / Budget Work Session on April 14, 2025, click here.

Ms. Myrtice C. Johnson, District 1 - President

Mr. Daryl J. Morton, At-Large, Post 7 - Vice President

Mrs. Kristin C. Hanlon, District 3 - Treasurer

Dr. Henry C. Ficklin, District 2

Mr. Barney T. Hester, District 4

Dr. Sundra M. Woodford, District 5

Mr. James M. Freeman, District 6

Dr. Lisa W. Garrett-Boyd, At-Large, Post 8

To learn more about Bibb County Board of Education members, click here.