The Bulloch County Board of Education will hold three public hearings, on two upcoming Thursdays, before voting on a proposed fractional increase, 0.242 mill, in the rate of county property taxes used for funding the schools.

That increase alone, from a school tax rate of 8.236 mills last year to 8.478 mills, is a 2.9% rate increase. But when compounded with inflation in real estate values as determined by the county Board of Tax Assessors staff, the resulting proposed increase in property tax for school maintenance and operations is 16.07% on average, so that is the percentage stated in the formal notices required under the Georgia Property Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights.

The first hearing is slated for 12 noon Thursday, Aug. 10. Two more hearings will be held on Thursday, Aug. 17, the first at 9 a.m. and the last at 6 p.m., also in the Board of Education’s central office meeting room at 150 Williams Road.

Then the board is expected to vote on its millage rate during a specially called meeting at 12 noon Aug.  18.

To have avoided announcing a property tax increase, the school board would have had to roll its rate back to 7.304 mills to compensate for inflation in assessments. So the notices refer to an increase of “1.174 mills,” the difference between the rollback rate and the newly proposed rate.

But because the Board of Education already rolls back its millage through the use of the county’s original Local Option Sales Tax, it must maintain a combined millage from property and sales tax of 14 mills to qualify for an annual state equalization grant.