Twiggs schools to make big cuts after years of overspending, official says

Twiggs County Public Schools is working to stabilize its finances after years of what Interim Superintendent Tyrone Bacon called “disturbing” overspending , delayed filed audits and a lack of financial information reaching the school board.

Bacon, who was appointed in late 2025, said the district’s cash-flow problems date back four years and were largely driven by spending that grew faster than recurring revenue, along with significant pay increases.

Based on documentation Bacon provided The Telegraph, Bacon inherited a system identified as “being under financial distress, with risks tied to cash flow, staffing alignment, data reliability and operational decision-making.”

Bacon said prior to Mack Bullard, the district’s former superintendent who resigned in December 2025 after four years on the job, the district did not have any budget or cash flow issues relating to overbudgeting.

Now, he’s on the move to stabilize the district with a four-pronged recovery plan that will include budget cuts and potential staff layoffs.

“We’re going to fix this problem,” Bacon said. “People are going to be secure in their jobs and their benefits, and the kids are going to get the best education that we can provide.”

Years of growing strain, ‘reckless’ pay hikes

Bacon, who has worked in Twiggs County for about 15 years in roles ranging from school improvement specialist to deputy superintendent and executive director of operations, said the district had long-faced financial challenges tied to its small tax base.

But he said the current situation is different in scale and severity than traditional money gaps.

“What became disturbing is during the time of Dr. Bullard, and really ... in the last 12 to 16 months, we were struggling to pay vendors more frequently than before,” Bacon said.

A 48-page document Bacon shared with The Telegraph showed the district started FY26 with a negative fund balance, according to its general cash flow fund report. The report also cited challenges with long-range financial planning and salary scales that significantly increased personnel costs.

This included a 30-40% salary scale increase for some employee groups and a payroll expansion the rural district could not sustain, which Bacon described as “a little reckless.”

“I’m going to be honest for clarity. Everybody, including myself, were beneficiaries of the new payroll,” Bacon said. “But it’s about the sustainability of those salaries. We want to compete with our neighbors, but we know that we can’t ...”

Some of the most alarming details about the district’s condition — including repeated problems paying health insurance, retirement and federal tax obligations, as well as the size of its operating depletion — did not become clear to him until Jan. 29 after working with an outside consultant to brief officials on the district’s honest state, Bacon said.

Bacon said some teachers benefited from the increased pay scales based on what the district paid previously . But when the state boosted teacher pay scales, Twiggs County did not pass all raises through to teachers, Bacon said, in part because the district realized it could not afford to keep up

“Some of our teachers were upset,” he said. “I think the board approved those under the guise that this was sustainable and wouldn’t hurt the district in the long run.”

Cuts, freezes & staff worries amid stability plan

The district secured a $1.5 million tax-anticipation note — what Bacon described as the largest TAN in the district’s history — to maintain basic operations. The TAN can span two fiscal years, but sustaining it will require budget cuts, including staff layoffs in March and April, he said.

With the guidance of an independent certified public accountant, Bacon has established a four-part stabilization plan to maintain operational stability, restore fiscal discipline and reinforce accountability.

The plan includes cutting about $1 million in central office salary costs, largely through consolidating roles, attrition and reorganization, rather than starting with classroom positions or low‑wage classified staff, Bacon said.

“The board and I are really making headway on ensuring that majority of the first round of stabilization that we’re doing will be at the central office and on administrative staff that disproportionately benefited more than classified and teaching staff did,” Bacon added.

He could not comment on which personnel roles have already been impacted at the time. r

The district recently restructured its financial management team, moving away from the traditional chief financial officer model the same week its former leader of business and finance resigned, according to Bacon. This occurred after the former employee filed a complaint against Bacon for alleged governance risks.

The new team’s structure is projected to save more than $100,000 a year, the district previously said.

Stabilization also includes freezing “non‑essential” expenditures, such as professional development trips and non‑critical repairs, while continuing to fund payroll, benefits and utilities.

The district also will identify at-risk employees through performance, certification and attendance data while issuing “clear improvement expectations and timelines,” according to provided documents.

Bacon acknowledged the anxiety this has created among staff, even though they appreciate the transparency. Bacon said that in a small school system where everyone knows everyone, it’s hard to address such concerns knowing some employees are single mothers or caring for elderly parents.

“People have asked, ‘Am I going to have a job next year?’” he said. “The answer is really heavy to give. You give them an answer like ‘Hey, we’re working on it. We’re going to make sure you’re okay.’ Those are kind of empty words when, on the other side, you just want to hear ‘Yes.’”

Addressing the complaint

James Austin, the district’s former executive director of business and finance, addressed his filed complaint against Bacon in February, alleging he created a hostile work environment and undermined key financial controls. Austin said Bacon directed changes to user access in the district’s finance system that violated internal-control standards and created audit risks.

The Board of Education said it would issue a written decision within 20 days of the hearing. Bacon said the board agreed he was entitled to the access he requested to “do the job they assigned me to do,” as he wanted stronger oversight and transparency for a district experiencing financial distress.

Bacon said Austin resigned but did not say why or whether the board’s decision was related to his departure.

In his complaint, Austin also said he alerted board members about the issues, refuting claims that district leaders were unaware of the financial strain.

Bacon, however, said board members were kept in the dark for years about basic financial details that other Middle Georgia districts routinely receive, including how much money the district had in the bank and its outstanding liabilities.

Bacon called the omission “disingenuous” and said it left the board unable to fully grasp the severity of the mounting operational depletion. He said that is one reason he is pushing for greater transparency during this time.

For now, Bacon said he is focused on getting the district “back on track” during his short time in leadership and maintaining transparency, particularly about its finances.

“I’m not a miracle worker. This is going to take multiple years of discipline to get us out of this hole,” he said. “I do want people to understand that the next leader that sits in the desk, him or her, they will have to carry that baton of discipline, fiscal restraint and management, but still giving the students what they need to be successful.”

This story was originally published March 12, 2026 at 2:05 PM.