The Oconee County Board of Education is recommending a total millage rate of 14.25 mills for Fiscal Year 2025 and has set the dates for three public hearings.

The public hearings on the millage rate will take place on July 1 at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. and on July 8 at 6 p.m. Oconee County residents are invited to attend all sessions in the Instructional Support Center at 71 North Main Street in Watkinsville. 

The Board of Education on June 11 tentatively adopted a millage rate of 15.0 mills based on a county tax digest estimate. The final digest now has been provided by the county’s tax commissioner.

Although the recommended millage rate has decreased, Georgia law requires the millage rate of 14.25 to be advertised as a property tax increase because the assessed value of existing property in Oconee County has increased since last year.

This tentative increase will result in a millage rate of 14.25 mills, an increase of .316 mills. Without this tentative tax increase, the millage rate will be no more than 13.934 mills. The proposed tax increase for a home with a fair market value of $500,000 is approximately $62.57 and the proposed tax increase for non-homestead property with a fair market value of $475,000 is approximately $60.04.

The Board of Education approved the Fiscal Year 2025 budget of $114,890,755, with 90 percent designated for salaries and benefits and the remaining 10 percent allocated to daily operations.

Key portions of the budget are:

• Four percent salary improvements for all staff ($3,297,000)

• Salary steps creation for years 22 through 30 ($2,187,705)

• Health insurance employer contribution increase ($2,232,170)

• Nineteen new positions ($1,077,328)

• New curriculum ($340,587)

• Teacher Retirement System employer contribution increase ($470,000)

• One-time custodians supplement ($47,367)

For more information, please visit oconeeschools.org/budget.