Henry County Board of Education Approves FY26 Budget Highlighted by Record Investments in Students, Employees

HENRY COUNTY, GA – The Henry County Board of Education on May 12 approved the final budget for the 2025-2026 school year, which includes an investment of $13,867 per student and raises the starting teacher salary to $53,910.

“I am pleased that we have developed a budget that prioritizes our students and advances compensation for our teachers while accounting for costly state mandates,” said Superintendent Dr. John Pace III. “The resilience of our local economy and sound fiscal management of our Board of Education have allowed us to remain steadfast in our mission to provide opportunities, access, and outcomes for all students, including furthering our efforts to recruit and retain the best and brightest teachers and staff.”

Building once again upon recent years’ historic commitments to teaching and learning in Henry County Schools, the Board of Education sustained and enhanced an $11 million midyear salary adjustment, which will result in the teacher salary schedule increasing by $3,000 over the adopted FY25 salary schedule.

The FY26 starting teacher salary of $53,910 has grown by more than $15,000 since 2018.

The $596.2 million General Fund budget includes an additional $22 million in new investments aimed at ensuring competitive compensation through salary, including honoring steps in salary schedules, increasing the value of schedules for each job family, and implementing state-mandated benefits increases.

“We believe that Henry County Schools is the best place to learn and work, and I’m proud of the diligent efforts of this board and our district team to develop a budget that honors this belief and prioritizes our students and staff,” said Board Chair Sophe Pope (Dist. 4). “We are excited that the many impactful investments coming next year will include 41 new teacher positions, nine of which will fulfill our Community-Inspired Strategic Plan priorities related to World Languages and orchestra programs.”

New teacher positions also include 17 dedicated to Exceptional Student Education (ESE). Additionally, the budget provides for seven new support positions, including psychologists, instructional coaches, and behavior intervention coaches to expand capacity and responsiveness.

“Approving the budget is a key responsibility of the board – and one that we do not take lightly,” said Vice Chair Annette Edwards (Dist. 2). “I commend my fellow board members and the district team for the months of planning, board meeting reports, and public hearings that preceded this vote. As a retired educator, I am particularly proud that this budget aligns key funds to the professional development of teachers and paraprofessionals, among the many significant investments in our students and staff.”

The board’s action also consisted of approvals of budgets for the Special Revenue Fund ($56.2 million) and Capital Projects Fund ($69.4 million). The two funds comprise targeted investments, many of which are related to sustaining the momentum of the district’s strategic plan in its fifth and final year. These include safety and security enhancements, facility growth projects such as the district’s forthcoming state-of-the-art STEM high school scheduled to open in fall 2027, and more.

The final budget is largely consistent with the figures presented by Chief Financial Officer Shanika Clay and tentatively adopted by the board in April, with a slight decline in revenue and forecasted expenditures.

The approved budget totals $764.3 million in expenditures across the four aggregate funds, including the General Fund, Special Revenue Fund, Capital Projects Fund, and Debt Service Fund.