In Georgia, where a child lives can have a profound impact on the quality of their education. A key piece of that puzzle? Property taxes.
While schools receive funding from both the state and local governments, in counties like Bibb, nearly 40% of the education budget comes from local property taxes.
“We received about $85 to $90 million in property taxes this year,” said Eric Bush, Chief Financial Officer for the Bibb County School District. “The rest, about $158 million, comes from state revenue. That puts us at roughly 40% local and 60% state funding.”
The school funding process begins with the Bibb County Tax Assessor’s Office, which sets property values annually based on the condition of land and buildings as of Jan. 1. These values are then sent to the Board of Education, which determines the necessary millage rate to meet its budgetary needs.
Millage rate is the tax rate per 1,000 of the assessed market value and in Georgia, property taxes are calculated based on 40% of a home’s market value. The Tax Commissioner uses this millage rate and multiplies it by the property values to calculate the amount of property tax owed.
“If your property is worth $200,000 and the school millage rate is 15 mills, your school tax is $3,000,” explained Wade McCord, who is the Bibb County Tax Commissioner. “I collect that tax and distribute it to the school district.”
In 2024, the millage rate for the Bibb schools was 14.674, and they received a little more than $86 million. This consisted of 37.7% percent of the school district’s 2025 revenue.
Since property tax revenue is based on the value of real estate in the area, wealthier counties with higher home values, more dense development and more housing numbers collect more despite similar millage rates. This property tax-dependent system can lead to a stark divide between districts. Wealthier or more densely populated counties can afford better facilities, higher teacher pay, and more extracurricular programs.
For example, Fulton county’s millage rate in 2024 was 17.14, and the school district received more than $818 million from property taxes. Property tax accounted for 45% of the total revenue of the school district.
A millage rate is set every year by the Macon-Bibb County Board of Commissioners for their operations, and a millage rate is also set by the Bibb County Board of Education.
The school millage rates can be influenced by many factors, whether the school district requires more money, or if the district plans to attract competitive teachers with higher pay than other districts. Districts also might have a lower millage rate based on whether the district wants to entice people to move to the county. The millage rate cannot be greater than 20 mills unless a local vote agrees with the higher millage rate.
Since the amount of money districts can raise through property can vary, Georgia’s funding formula includes a grant for districts called equalization grants, as some districts will collect less than others. The current calculation uses a modified state average to provide less wealthy districts with some additional funds.
“It’s not necessarily unfair,” Bush said, “but it definitely leads to more opportunities in high-value areas than in low-value ones.”
