VALDOSTA – At the Lowndes County School Board Meeting on June 20, the Board approved Superintendent Wes Taylor’s recommendation to adopt the $81,983,137 FY 2017 budget.

The FY 2017 budget takes effect July 1. Included in the budget are additional classroom teaching positions to reduce class sizes, the purchase of new buses, educational software and hardware, and other capital improvements. This budget includes a one-time base salary increase of 3% for eligible employees.

This is the second year in a row out of the last 8 that employees will not incur any furlough days, and no reserve funds will be used to balance the budget.

“Our community has been supportive during the recent austere financial times, and our teachers and staff remained steadfast in providing a quality education for our students during these challenging times. We are responsible stewards of the taxpayers’ money, and this reinvestment in the future of our community—our students—is a prudent one,” said Superintendent Wes Taylor.

Release from Lowndes County Schools