The Coweta County Board of Education approved a 2005 budget of $127

million Thursday morning that should not require a millage rate hike.

"We are going to be able to set the millage rate sooner this year,

but we still have to wait to get all the tax digest information," said

school system comptroller Keith Chapman.

The total budget is just under $181 million, and includes all funds

such as bonded indebtedness and capital projects.

This year's budget was balanced after the school board decided

to use $3.7 million in reserve funds. But the vote was not unanimous

as members Alan Payton and Brian Roy opposed using the reserves.

Last year, the board allocated using $5.5 million in reserves to balance

the budget, but didn't use all the funds, said school system public

information officer Dean Jackson said.

For the last two years, the school system has felt a financial crunch

from the state. With fewer funds available for education, the school

system was more reliant on local funds, which come largely from property

owners in Coweta County.

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