Bryan County Schools

High-growth school districts cannot afford to wait five years for ESPLOST funds to accumulate before constructing new school buildings; they need the facilities as soon as possible to accommodate increasing enrollment. By authorizing and selling bonds, districts can secure the necessary funds immediately and repay the debt over time using ESPLOST revenue.

The bond authorization simply gives us the flexibility to build schools as they’re needed — much like financing a home — except this ‘home’ will serve thousands of students for generations to come. Bryan County Schools, which holds the highest bond rating available, benefits from lower interest rates, ensuring cost-effective borrowing and responsible financial management.

Bryan County Schools has sold bonds on four occasions since 2018, yet the debt service millage rate of 1.5 mills has remained unchanged. The bonds are repaid using ESPLOST funds and Debt Service Millage. ESPLOST funding helps reduce the need to increase property taxes.

Bryan County Schools maintains a debt service millage rate of 1.5 mills. When issuing additional long-term General Obligation (GO) bonds, we structure repayment schedules strategically. If authorized to sell $200,000,000 in long-term General Obligation bonds, the projected repayment schedule of this debt does not require a debt service millage rate increase over the current 1.5 mills.

Why do you anticipate the 1.5 mill debt service rate not to change?

• Bryan County continues to be one of the fastest growing counties in the state of Georgia

• The tax digest increases as new homes and businesses are added resulting in an increase in the total revenue generated at the current 1.5 mills

• ESPLOST collections grow with increases in population and economic activity

• The debt service millage rate of 1.5 mills has remained the same since 2018 due to the information above

If growth meets or exceeds projections, the district may generate more debt service revenue than required to meet annual bond payments.

At that point, the Board would have options:

• Reduce the debt service millage rate

• Accelerate bond repayment

• Shorten the repayment term

The long-term objective is not only to avoid increasing the rate — but to position the district to reduce it when fiscally responsible.