Dougherty County School District board meeting, Aug 27, 2026
2 h 16 min · 0 public speakers
This board doesn’t post agenda times. Click a board member to jump to where they first speak; we list only members whose voice our check named. Video length 2 h 16 min.
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What happened
What happened at this meeting
Auditor gives Dougherty County schools unmodified opinion on 2025 financial statements 0:12
- An auditor presented the district's 2025 audit and said the district received an unmodified opinion, and said the report's one recommendation concerned fund balance above the state's 15% limit. 0:12
- The superintendent said a state law passed in the last session raised that limit to 25%. 14:46
- During agenda review, board members asked about community coaches and take-home vehicles, and a staff member presented proposed legislative priorities for board feedback. 25:57
- The board approved the agenda and the minutes, and a motion on the consent agenda passed. 1:32:24
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Item by item (15)
- Annual audit presentation 0:12
- An auditor said the district received an unmodified opinion, reported total net position of $145 million and a general fund balance of $52.8 million, and said reserves equaled about 12 weeks of operations. 2:28
- Reverend James Bush asked how the board could avoid holding more than 15% in fund balance, and the auditor said the auditor personally did not think 15% was enough. 12:20
- The superintendent said a state law passed in the last session increased the fund balance limit to 25%. 14:46
- Employee leave policy first read 18:43
- A district staff member presented an addition to Policy GARH, Employee Leaves and Absences, as a first read to reflect House Bill 1118 on maternity birth leave. 19:03
- The staff member said the leave provides 120 hours immediately after birth to employees with at least 6 months of continuous work, or 700 hours for hourly workers. 19:03
- The staff member said the district's separate paid parental leave policy applies to male and female employees. 24:29
- Community coaches review 25:57
- A district staff member said volunteer community coaches who are not employees must come to the board for approval and undergo background checks and fingerprinting. 26:58
- One board member suggested that community coaches and other volunteers volunteer at a different school to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest. 29:11
- A district staff member said the board could change the policy and the district would follow it. 30:38
- Take-home vehicle questions 31:06
- One board member asked whether the board could adopt a policy barring employees from driving take-home vehicles outside Dougherty County, and later said some people living outside the county were abusing the privilege. 31:45
- The staff member responding said such a rule could slow emergency response times but that the district would enforce a policy if the board adopted one. 34:13
- Dr. Carolyn Hand asked how facilities staff are chosen to take vehicles home, and the staff member said supervisors and on-call workers such as plumbers and electricians may do so. 34:56
- Asbestos abatement bid award 37:01
- Norma Gaines-Heath asked about plans for the Sylvan Dale building, and a staff member said it would become a new public safety complex where the DCSS Police Department would relocate. 37:30
- Custodial service transition incentive plan 39:40
- A staff member said the plan would eliminate a 3-year vesting period on district contributions to a 403 supplemental retirement plan for custodial employees transitioning to ABM. 39:49
- Financial report 44:06
- Reverend James Bush asked how much money the district had in reserve, and a staff member said the projection was about $33,700,000. 45:16
- Strategic plan update 46:22
- A district staff member said dual enrollment students at Albany Tech rose from 421 to over 760, an 82% increase. 49:31
- The staff member said students earning a credential of value rose from 186 in 2023 to 461 in 2025. 51:09
- Geraldine West-Hudley asked whether past VILA participants would be linked with new ones, and the staff member said alumni would be invited back. 53:50
- Proposed legislative priorities 54:46
- A district staff member proposed state priorities including a pre-K program for 3-year-olds, adding poverty and technology weights to the state funding formula, extending the teacher pay scale to at least step 30 and state cost sharing for health benefits. 54:46
- One board member said substitute teachers are paid $100 a day and asked why the state was not helping retain them. 1:02:46
- The staff member said a U.S. House budget recommendation for FY28 includes an $8.1 billion reduction in title funding and said the district receives about $2 million in E-Rate funding. 1:04:57
- Board member questions to superintendent 1:10:45
- Norma Gaines-Heath asked whether the strategic plan summary could be printed on cards for businesses, and a district staff member said to consider it done. 1:10:45
- Norma Gaines-Heath asked whether a pre-K-3 program would use certified teachers, and the staff member said that would be the district's intent. 1:13:02
- Countywide property reassessment 1:14:20
- A district staff member said the district had not received its tax digest and anticipated a 9th consecutive millage rate rollback after 8 consecutive years. 1:15:21
- High school closing explanation 1:19:30
- Reverend James Bush asked about the reasons for closing Albany High School, and a district staff member said declining enrollment had brought the district's average below the 970-student base size for full high school funding. 1:19:30
- Celebrations and announcements 1:23:29
- A district staff member highlighted mentor teachers, an employee game night, Officers of the Month for the district police department, a new adaptive sports program and the district's first volleyball match. 1:23:29
- Meeting opening and votes 1:31:11
- The regular board meeting was called to order, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. 1:31:11
- Motions were made to approve the agenda, the August 10th, 2026, minutes, consent items 2 through 5 and 7, and agenda item 6 on the custodial service transition incentive plan. 1:32:24
- The agenda and minutes were approved, and a motion on the consent agenda passed. 1:32:24
- Executive session 1:35:18
Written by software from the meeting's transcript and checked sentence by sentence against it.
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Video: posted by the district as “Regular Board Meeting - August 27, 2026”