The Fulton

County School Board began the huge task this week of trying to create

a general fund budget for next year.

School system

business services director Harold Grindle said last year's budget was

$559 million, but preliminary revenue estimates for this year are $575

million.

Grindle said

a big increase comes from reassessments in the county, and board officials

are trying to determine if they will roll back the millage rate to compensate

for the increase in property vale this year.

"We have

done a rollback the last two years," he explained.

But state funding

and sales tax funding is expected to be less this year, so officials are

trying to juggle needs with revenue expectations.

While the final

revenue figures won't be available until later this month, Grindle said

the board is looking at several spending options for this year.

If the board

agrees to the step increase in salary due its employees, along with the

state's recommended 3.25 percent raise for teachers, it could cost the

system $22 million.

The system

is also bound to decrease class size under Gov. Barnes' education reform

plan in 2004. If the system starts decreasing the class size this year,

it could cost up to $8 million, he added.

The system

will have a public meeting on the budget at the administrative complex

on Cleveland Avenue at 7 p.m. Monday.

The board will

discuss the budget in another workshop May 2, and is expected to give

final approval to the budget in June.