In the June 12 monthly meeting of the Union County School Board, board members approved the district’s Tentative Budget for Fiscal Year 2026, which comes in about 7.8% larger than the 2025 budget approved last summer.
According to the Central Office, there are several drivers of the uptick, a big one being that health care costs have increased from $11,340 to $22,640 per year per employee over the last three years.
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“Our costs from last year to this year have increased $1.3 million due to these mandated (State Health Benefit Plan) health insurance increases,” School Finance Director Karen Bundy said.
Other additional expenses include a 50-cent salary increase for non-certified employees, and in an attempt “to remain competitive with our surrounding counties,” the system is increasing its local certified supplement tier that is based on years of experience in education.
Further, the budget reflects a reduction in class sizes for kindergarten through fifth grade with the hiring of additional teachers, and the system has also committed to mental health improvements for students by adding two new nurses, two new counselors and an extra social worker.
And thanks to higher than anticipated revenues and lower than expected expenditures over the course of the budget that is about to be concluded, the FY26 budget is starting with about $4.4 million more in General Fund reserves than originally forecast last year.
The School Board held two budget public hearings in May that were not attended by the public, and now that the Tentative Budget has been published in the North Georgia News legal organ, board members are expected to approve the final budget in their July 24 regular meeting.
In other news, student cellphone management was a big topic of discussion in the work session that preceded the business meeting.
Earlier this year, Gov. Brian Kemp signed House Bill 340 into law to cut down on distractions in the classroom and “improve focus” by banning all personal communication devices for students in kindergarten through eighth grade, effective July 2026.
“We’d like to talk through with the board on what our plan should be,” said Superintendent John Hill, warning that sudden changes “will not go well” with students, teachers or parents.
Board Chair Tony Hunter suggested adopting the policy to start the upcoming school year to prevent confusion, agreeing that formulating a plan on how to handle cellphones and disciplinary infractions was best dealt with sooner rather than later.
Director of Accountability and Compliance Dr. David Murphy cited research showing cellphone bans improve academic performance, and the board agreed that the introduction of HB 340 was a good thing. As for how the law will be enforced locally, the most discussed method was RFID-blocking bags.
The bags, usually costing an average of about $7, block cellphone signals. Each individual student would have a bag to put his or her cellphone in, though where these bags would be stored during school hours remained to be decided, potentially in backpacks or cabinets.
If a student is caught using a cellphone, the device will be confiscated and brought to the front office for a parent or guardian to pick up. Important to note is that while HB 340 only details cellphone bans for K-8 students, the rule will extend to high schoolers as well in Union County.
Realizing that parents will also be affected by the law, the board agreed to look into sending information home with students to warn parents of the upcoming change and to share the research conducted concerning the impacts of electronics on learning.
Hunter proposed a return to parents calling the front office if they need to get in touch with their children, while Murphy was a proponent of “using common sense” and allowing students to ask their teacher to use their phone to call home if they need to be picked up.
“Nobody likes change, I understand that, but we are facing issues at this point in time of our existence that we’ve never had to face before,” Hunter said.
Although questions remain, the discussion is ongoing, including around other technological impacts on students.
Director of Teaching and Learning C.T. Hussion brought up the use of artificial intelligence programs such as ChatGPT to cheat on homework, and Board Member Jason McCarter opined that teachers must adapt.
Hill and Hunter agreed that a plan must be finalized and rolled out soon, so a more comprehensive outline was put into development.
Among other meeting business, Mandy Hunter was congratulated for achieving Region 7-AA Athletic Director of the Year for 2024-2025. She also accepted the UCHS Region 7-AA Sportsmanship Award 2024-2025 and introduced members of the UCHS Track & Field Team before the board to honor the students for their achievements.
“We’re very proud of their perseverance and their determination,” said Hunter, describing the difficult conditions the girls track team endured during the championship.
Track & Field competitor Jack Wilson received individual recognition in the meeting for his Runner-Up finish in discus at the state tournament. Wilson has signed an athletic scholarship with East Tennessee State.
Briefly, the board reviewed statistics from the past school year, finding that, after struggling since the onset of COVID-19, attendance has largely returned to pre-pandemic levels with advanced incentives and harder crackdowns.
Three people signed up for public comment, but with one not attending and another leaving due to their question being answered, that left only Scotty Jarrard to praise the board for making Union County Schools stand out as a pillar of high achievement despite its rural, mountain background.
“These accomplishments should not only motivate our students, but they should motivate … our administration and our teachers,” said Jarrard, thanking school administrators for their role in caring for the community. “These successes are based on every one of you.”
