Montgomery County Board of Education Adopts New Budget and Internet Restriction Policy

The Montgomery County Board of Education adopted a new budget for fiscal year 2026, a new Internet acceptable use policy and celebrated the Beta club during their monthly meeting on Tuesday, June 24, in the Montgomery County Board of Education Office in Mount Vernon.

The proposed budget for fiscal year 2026, lasting from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026, features a total revenue of $18,643,816 and total expenses of $18,973,079.09. The Montgomery County School System would begin the fiscal year with a fund equity of $5,834,284.26 and end the year with a fund equity of $5,505,030.17.

According to Superintendent Dr. Ronda Hightower, the 2026 budget will save $994,178.41compared to the 2025 budget, and lost $945,548 due to increased health insurance costs and other factors. Dr. Hightower noted that while several cost-cutting measures had been implemented to offset the cost, such as only having two pre-K classes instead of three, no employees had been asked to leave.

Board Member Susan Beard offered a motion to accept the budget with no changes, which passed unanimously.

The board also heard a financial report regarding school related accounts, delivered by Melinda Moore. According to Moore, May revenues totalled $1,214,593.70, bringing the total fiscal year revenues so far to $12,590,262.62, which is 90.1% of the projected fiscal year 2025 revenues; May expenditures totalled $1,110,434.55, bringing the total fiscal year expenditures so far to $12,244,191.12, which is 84.31% of the projected fiscal year 2025 expenditures.

As of Saturday, May 31, the fund balance totalled $6,180,355.76, and the total for all May funds totalled $1,429,300.21; open purchase orders totalled $177,116.45 and the SPLOST balance totalled $709,553.80.

For school level finances, as of May 31, the Montgomery County Elementary School account balance totalled $44,967.01, and the Montgomery County Middle School and High School account balance totalled $166,579.

Board Vice-Chair Eugene Ward offered a motion to accept the financial report, which passed unanimously.

The board also considered policies and strategies for the upcoming school year. Billy Goodwin presented the board with a revised Internet acceptable use policy, which would ban the use of social media by students in order to curb cyberbullying and improve classroom learning.

“We can’t dictate or control what they do outside, but we can dictate and control what they do under our care,” says Goodwin.

The policy would provide multiple avenues for enforcement both technological, including filtering and monitoring tools to prevent access to certain websites and VPNs, and practical, requiring teachers to submit mandatory reports and undergo annual cyberbullying prevention training. The schools would also call on parents to become active participants by monitoring digital behavior at home, according to Goodwin.

“We want to get it in the parents’ minds that they need to monitor what their kids do at home as much as we do here at school,” says Goodwin.

The proposed policy update will sit for consideration until the board’s next meeting.

The board also considered an update to the five-year strategic plan first adopted in 2024. The plan was updated to improve internal graphics and wording in the document to reflect the plan’s focus on teacher improvement, according to Dr. Hightower.

Board Member Allen Williamson offered a motion to accept the plan update, which passed unanimously.

The board also considered a resolution to request assistance from the Georgia Department of Education’s assistance with a new five-year facilities plan. Williamson offered a motion to pass the resolution, which passed unanimously.

Board Member Beard offered a motion to pass an updated promotion and retention policy, which passed unanimously.

The board also considered a policy to prohibit personal electronic devices from kindergarten to twelfth grade in compliance with the Distraction Free Education Act. The act only applies to kindergarten to eighth grade, but Dr. Hightower expects the legislation to be expanded to include ninth grade through twelfth grade.

Board Member Williamson offered a motion to accept the policy, which passed unanimously. Williamson also offered a motion to approve one basketball trip as well as Elementary and cheer fundraisers, which passed unanimously.

The board also recognized the National Beta club, which won the Montgomery County High School the honor of All Star Service School as well as a District of Distinction award for being available to local students of all grade levels. According to Dr. Hightower, the Montgomery County National Beta club was one of only 78 other districts to receive the award.

Board Member John O’Conner offered a motion to accept two rescinding of employments, which passed unanimously; Board Member Beard offered a motion to accept two resignations, which passed unanimously; and Board Member O’Conner offered a motion to accept two new hires and one transfer, which passed unanimously.

Assistant Superintendent Dr. Scott Barrow delivered an HR, safety and facilities report. According to the report, school staff will undergo various training and certification updates prior to the beginning  of the new school year, such as anti-gang training for middle and high school staff and bleeding injury training for staff at all three schools.

In addition, Barrow provided several updates regarding ongoing facility refurbishment, including floor stripping and waxing, roof repair, new shrubbery and the ongoing Operation Beautification and Operation Locker Room, which refurbished a locker room used by visiting teams. New security cameras have been installed in the football field and the middle school gym.

Barrow also provided three quotes for a replacement air conditioner unit for the Montgomery County Elementary School. The board considered the lowest quote, and Beard offered a motion to accept the quote pending an investigation, as Board Member Williamson had concerns regarding the large divide in price between the quotes.