Bibb County schools left with ‘smaller pot of money,’ considers potential school closure

While budgeting and preparing for an increase of 262 students for the incoming school year, the Bibb County School District faces serious financial burdens – and possible school closures.

The financial challenges arise from the district’s response to significant inflationary costs for goods and supplies, health care cost increases and high mandated costs of over $10 million for the next school year, Superintendent Dan Sims said on a Facebook livestream Wednesday, one day after the Bibb County Board of Education’s first public hearing on the 2025 budget.

Mandated costs for the district’s 2025 budget are about $4 million higher than last year’s budget. Also, health care costs incurred by the district will increase by 86% between 2024 and 2026 for each participant, Sims added.

“As we think about those available funds – those mandated funds take away from our fund base, which gives us a smaller pot of money to operate with,” Sims said.

Mandated funds, which are not funded by the state, include salaries, health insurance and retirement contributions. The 2025 proposed school budget aims to address employee pay disparities by including raises for classified and certified employees in order to retain staff and make the district a more competitive employer across Middle Georgia.

“Budget is never an easy time, but it’s necessary as we think about investing in our children and in our schools,” Sims said. “We are striving to produce the best possible atmosphere (and) the best possible experience for every student, and that requires an investment.”

Cost cuts, considering school consolidation

The Bibb County School District identified about $2.8 million in cuts through departmental adjustments and program audits, Sims said.

In addition to those cost cuts, funding from the federal American Rescue Plan, Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, and Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funding for the district will end in September. The millions of dollars, which were distributed during the COVID-19 pandemic, helped the district assist students during a difficult time, he added.

“So whereas this past year we had tens of millions of dollars a part of our budget, all of that money is gone,” Sims said.

With the financial burdens and funding cuts, Sims said the district has had to readjust what the district’s budget can afford. This includes the Bibb County Board of Education continuing to assess additional opportunities for future savings and considering school consolidation.

“Over the course of the 2024-2025 school year … we will engage in looking carefully at our long-range facilities plans, engage the community, and think through school consolidations,” Sims said, adding that he does not yet have a school in mind.

At Tuesday’s public hearing, board member Daryl Morton requested an update on the district’s internal or external support for examining prospective school closures.

Sims said he would like to focus on making the right decision by looking at data and working with experts and consultants to determine the best school closure through a thorough analysis for the 2026 budget and school year. He said the recommendation may be brought to the board for decision-making in February.

Sims added that the consultant’s price was around $200,000.

“I understand that somehow the community found out about it, and I know there’s concern as (it) relates to the large amount of money, and we recognize that,” Sims said. “But we also recognize that whatever we do is an investment to the consolidation, which will end up being a much more significant savings.”

The school board’s next public budget hearing and monthly committee meeting is set for June 20. Millage rates and property tax digests will be discussed in July, school officials said.