Henry County Board of Education Shares 2026 Legislative Priorities with Local and State Officials

HENRY COUNTY, GA – More than a dozen dignitaries representing city, county, and state government joined the Henry County Board of Education on Nov. 18 for its annual Legislative Breakfast and presentation of its 2026 Legislative Priorities.

“Having local and state officials participate in this annual event not only advances our vision to ensure a high-quality, world-class education for every student, but also demonstrates our commitment to realizing our community’s hopes, dreams, and aspirations for public education in Henry County,” said Superintendent Dr. John Pace III. “Their support is crucial for us to achieve our goals and ensure schools receive the necessary support and resources to foster student success.”

Hampton Middle School hosted dignitaries, including Georgia State Representatives Demetrius Douglas (Dist. 78) and Noelle Kahaian (Dist. 81), Mayor of Stockbridge Anthony S. Ford, Henry County Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Joseph Henning, Henry County Manager Cheri Hobson-Matthews, Deputy County Manager Kevin Johnson, Henry County Commissioners Neat Robinson (Dist. 2), Michael T. Price (Dist. 4), and Kevin J. Lewis (Dist. 5), Henry County Fire Chief Deron “Pat” Wilson, Henry County Police Chief Mike Ireland, City of Stockbridge Police Captain David Huffschmidt and Assistant Chief of Police Richard Godfrey.

In addition to Dr. Pace, Board Chair Sophe Pope (Dist. 4), Board Vice Chair Annette Edwards (Dist. 2), Board Members Jennifer Carter (Dist. 3) and Makenzie McDaniel (Dist. 5), Hampton Middle School Principal Dr. Lydia Williams, and other district leaders and staff represented Henry County Schools.

The legislative breakfast signifies a collaborative effort to align educational priorities with the needs of Henry County students, families, and the larger community. By sharing the district’s legislative priorities, HCS empowers civic leaders to advocate for policies that advance its mission and vision and secure necessary support and resources to further educational outcomes.

“Today’s event is important for Henry County Schools and especially for my role as County Manager,” Hobson-Matthews said. “This legislative breakfast and partnerships and collaborations help us to understand the school district’s priorities as we start to develop our budgets. It is also critical for ensuring we are all aligned, and our messaging is the same as we work to enrich public education in Henry County.”

Each year, the board develops and approves legislative priorities in anticipation of the upcoming legislative session. Dr. Pace highlighted accomplishments realized under the 2025 Legislative Priorities, including:

• Increased funding for school safety, mental health, and literacy initiatives.
• Additional investments in school security measures, mobile panic alert systems, faster student record transfers, and expanded access to student mental health services in alignment with House Bill 268.
• Targeted interventions and supports that have reduced chronic absenteeism in alignment with Senate Bill 123.
• Restrictions on the use of personal electronic devices during the instructional day in alignment with House Bill 340. Board Policy JCDAF mandating restrictions on the use of electronic devices across HCS took effect for the 2025-2026 school year through the district’s “Focus: ON” campaign.

The board developed the 2026 Legislative Priorities throughout September and October, approving them during its Nov. 10 business session for the spring 2026 Legislative Session, which begins on Jan. 12.

The board’s emphasis on improving the school experience for students, enhancing the work environment for education professionals, and safeguarding and advancing public education in Henry County guided the development of the following 2026 Legislative Priorities:

Safety and Security

• Revise the Quality Basic Education (QBE) Act allotment to fund school safety personnel at each school to include campus safety monitors, school resource officers, and school crossing guards.
• Increase funding that enables districts to invest in and sustain enhanced technologies to increase school safety measures, such as campus alert systems, weapons detection technology, security cameras, and structural reinforcements.
• Increase funding that enables districts to invest in and sustain enhanced technologies to monitor and prevent cybersecurity threats.
• Develop policies and resources that support timely and effective inter-agency communications between school systems, behavioral health professionals, and law enforcement.

Mental Health and Wellness

• Revise the QBE allotment formula to fund critical positions for student supports at every school, to include mental health and wellness facilitators, behavior coaches, social workers, counselors, psychologists, and nurses.
• Expand state initiatives to provide funding for school-based mental health services through collaboration with local health care providers.

Educator Compensation and Teacher Pipeline Development

• Increase the QBE allotment to advance competitive teacher and support staff compensation.
• Increase the state’s contribution within the bus driver funding formula; increase compensation and ensure a more competitive retirement incentive.
• Expand return-to-work options for retirees in HB 385 by extending the applicable effective date indefinitely, removing the eligibility requirement of one (1) full year of retirement, and allowing local school districts to determine areas of need.
• Incentivize teacher pipeline development initiatives to include paraprofessional-to-teacher programs, create an apprentice certificate for aspiring educators, and provide funding to support certification for non-traditional teachers.

Financial Sustainability

• Support districts in offsetting the increasing costs of the employer portion of non-certified employee health insurance.
• Support efforts to fully fund and modernize the QBE Act to more accurately reflect the cost of public education, inflation, and limitations of local funding.

Learning and Accountability

• Expand the dual enrollment program by increasing the allowable credits from 30 to 60 and adding courses aligned to critical workforce fields (e.g., educator preparation, nursing, and public safety).
• Promote local control and ensure that school choice proposals include comparable accountability, reporting requirements, and Code of Conduct processes, with defined annual enrollment and transfer/withdrawal windows for students receiving public funds for private education.
• Maintain current funding caps for school choice initiatives to minimize financial impact on local school systems.

In establishing a basis for support, Dr. Pace outlined actual expenditures for FY2023, FY2024, and FY2025, projected costs for FY2026, and corresponding state funding for each year in key areas as follows:

• There was no state funding for safety and security in FY23, while the board reported actual expenditure of $3.68 million ($85.44 per student). The district’s actual and projected expenditures continue to significantly exceed state contributions as the board prioritizes districtwide campus safety, building on a range of investments over the last seven years, including additional school resource officers, increased cameras in schools and buses, and a campus alert system.
  
  HCS allocated more than $11 million ($258.21 per student) for safety and security costs in FY24, while the state provided $2.5 million ($58.21 per student). The district’s actual expenditure in FY25 was $9.25 million ($214.43 per student), with the state providing $3.44 million ($79.69 per student). 
  
  The state’s budget of almost $2.5 million ($58.01 per student) for the 2026 fiscal year represents a decrease of $938,205 or 27.3% from 2025 and is approximately $10.9 million less than the district’s budgeted $13.3 million ($309.67 per student).
   
• The district’s technology infrastructure, which receives no state funding, is a significant component of its safety and security initiatives, with the board implementing proactive measures over the years, including cybersecurity upgrades. HCS continues to adopt a forward-thinking approach to bolstering its technology infrastructure, allocating $13.7 million ($318.58 per student) for FY26.
• HCS has prioritized mental health and wellness initiatives as a part of its vision to ensure a high-quality, world-class education for every student. The board has steadily increased investments in counselors, Mental Health and Wellness Facilitators, nurses and clinic aides, psychologists, and social workers to reinforce holistic supports in every school across the district.

The district’s actual expenditure on mental health and wellness-related salaries from FY23-FY25 was $17.6 million ($402.88 per student), $19.7 million ($454.84 per student), $21.2 million ($490.78 per student), respectively, with $22.81 million ($529.29 per student) projected for FY26.

Comparatively, state funding from FY23-FY25 was $8.57 million ($196.51 per student), $9.7 million ($223.80 per student), $10.2 million ($236.21 per student), respectively, with $10.4 million ($242.26 per student) projected for FY26—approximately half the district’s expenditure each year.

Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (E-SPLOST) and other locally generated funds support various student- and staff-related investments, including student transportation and employee compensation, to support the needs of a growing school district.

Grasping the full scope of the board’s priorities and the gap between the board’s investments and state funding will equip legislators to advocate more effectively for additional allocations for the school district.

“This event will ensure that the state legislature and local officials understand how to support the school system,” Commissioner Lewis said. “It is also important in helping us to understand how to partner and how to ensure funding exists so our students are protected, so that we can deliver the best learning experience possible for them.”

“This is a great initiative, and based on the overview presented today, I believe we are ahead of the game in getting things done,” Representative Douglas said. “It is beneficial to see these priorities up front, so we can understand the school district’s needs and where we can offer support. It was also incredible to see firsthand the forward-thinking culture at Henry County Schools as demonstrated by the administration and staff.”

Group discussions centered around recruitment and retention, school safety and mental health, and financial sustainability provided attendees with additional opportunities to learn about the district’s successes, needs, and challenges, and offer recommendations.

“It is always encouraging to see our community come together in support of our children,” Pope said. “This legislative breakfast provides a platform for us to outline our priorities and the vital role our partners here today can play in shaping the future of public education in Henry County. We are grateful for their support in ensuring Henry County Schools continues to nurture an environment that supports staff and student success. Thank you for believing in the power of public education and the way it can change every child’s life.”

The legislative breakfast enabled attendees to gain a deeper understanding of tangible and intangible outcomes of the board’s investments. Hampton Middle School’s Honors Orchestra, now in its second year, welcomed guests upon their arrival for breakfast, showcasing the value of fine arts programming. 

Hampton Middle School student ambassadors also guided attendees on a tour that further highlighted the school’s fine arts successes as well as the board’s engineering, mental health and wellness, safety and security, and STEM initiatives in action.

“Sharing our vision for the future of Henry County Schools ensures that we are all working toward a common goal,” said Board Vice Chair Annette Edwards (Dist. 2). “For local representatives and civic leaders to dedicate time to understanding our mission, vision, and educational priorities, significantly enhances our ability to ensure Henry County Schools is a place where students and staff thrive, and we thank them for their participation and support over the years.”