DeKalb Schools’ Budget Gap Swells to $85 Million

The DeKalb County school board Monday delayed a vote on proposed budget cuts after realizing the budget gap was wider than officials originally thought. The board thought they were facing a deficit of $73 million. Instead, district spokesperson Walter Woods says, they found out the shortfall is  $85 million.

“The board received a report about the tax digest, which we now believe will be 9% lower,” Woods says, “The original estimate was 6%. We based deficit projection on that.”

That difference means the board will have to come up with $12 million more in cuts or revenue. And, Woods says, everything is on the table. Board members have already considered raising property taxes, increasing class size, and adding two more teacher furlough days. They are now also considering cutting the budget for Fernbank Science Center by $3.2 million dollars.