NEWTON COUNTY – The Newton County Board of Education held the first of three public hearings on House Bill 581 on Tuesday, Jan. 21. 

The hearing consisted of a recap of the bill from Newton County Schools’ Chief Financial Officer Erica Robinson. The presentation was followed by discussion among board members and input from two public commentators.

The presentation estimated that if the homestead exemption went into effect, in 2026 alone, the district would see an estimated $3.9 million loss in revenue. That number, they project, would grow to an estimated comprehensive $30.6 million loss by 2029.

Robinson forewarned the board that the budget reduction would have several adverse impacts on the quality of Newton County Schools, including difficulty offering competitive pay that could lead to a lower retention rate of staff, larger class sizes, fewer safety resources and facilities that cannot be well-maintained and kept up-to-date.

“While this legislation is intended to provide relief for homeowners, it creates significant challenges for our district’s budget,” Robinson said. “A projected revenue loss of over $30 million will be impossible to absorb without reducing or eliminating critical programs, services and staff. The consequences of these reductions will directly affect the quality of education, the safety of our schools and the resources available to support student achievement. 

The board, particularly Trey Bailey (District 1) and Shakila Henderson-Baker (District 3), seemed earnest in their agreement that defunding the school system would negatively affect the students, staff and entire operation.

“Being a philosophical ideologue, I guess, I was like, well, the people voted for it, then that’s what we should do, the end,” Bailey said. “And then, you get to peeling back the layers of it, and then you get presentations from your CFO who’s charged with giving you accurate information, boy we just can’t get the math to get there, you know. And I understand, everyone’s on a budget, and we all have to cut back where we can, but I just would remind our board that 86 percent of our budget is in payroll and benefits – salaries to our employees. That leaves very little left to ‘cut.’”

In her presentation, Robinson said that the state of Georgia passed the ballot measure in November with about 63 percent of the state voting in favor. She showed the board that the margin in Newton County was only slightly closer, with approximately 59.98 percent of the county voting to pass the bill and 40.02 percent voting against it.

However, public commenter Howard Griggs wishes the board had explained the bill to the county before going to the polls.

“The next time the state sends something down here, you guys need to look at that stuff and send it– get the exact meaning of what they’re talking about and send it out to the people in your districts, maybe we’ll get a little better understanding,” Griggs said. “If you don’t know what it is, we sure don't know what it is. Cause I know I read it a little bit and I just voted.”

Henderson-Baker pointed out that many other Georgia school boards have already opted out of HB581, which may point to a larger issue with the bill itself. Her words expressed a demand for careful scrutiny of the proposed exemption.

“As of Tuesday last week, out of the 180 districts, over 82 in the state of Georgia – all sizes, all makeup, all of those things… had already made a statement they were going to opt out,” Henderson-Baker said. “Again, let that be the red-flag indicator that you need to dig a little further in this legislation, because that, to me, provides evidence that something is wrong with it.” 

Public commenter Zayvion Sheppard, a 2022 Newton High School alumni, appealed to the board. Shepard asked that they opt out of HB581, stating that accepting the proposed bill would defund Newton County Schools.

“...it doesn’t matter if you are Black or White, rich or poor, rural or suburban; education is the universal key to open all doors,” Sheppard said. “The slightest suggestion that we can somehow sell out our kids, fire our teachers and defund our schools is not only fiscally irresponsible, but it is a blatant mockery of the values I know we hold as a community. Opt out of HB581 and protect our schools that produce students like myself and so many other Rams, Tigers and Eagles.”

The school board is holding two more public hearings before they can formally opt out of HB581, should that be how they decide to proceed. Holding the hearings does not necessarily mean the board will opt out of the bill, but the state requires that three hearings be held before any governmental entity opts out. 

The next public hearing is Wednesday, Jan. 29 at 6 p.m. at Newton College and Career Academy. The final public hearing will be Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 4 p.m. at the Newton County Board of Education.

“This is a difficult decision,” Bailey said. “It’s not just an easy open and shut case, and I do hope our community will be aware of that.”