Stephens County — Stephens County residents will not see a rise in property taxes related to public schools.

By a unanimous vote Friday morning, the County Board of Education voted to keep the millage rate for fiscal year 2008-09 the same as in 2007-08, 18.4 mills.

“It’s unanimous,” school board Chairman Jerry Steele said as the board took the vote. “We feel that should cover our budget.”

In the course of three public hearings about the tax rate, only two people came to speak to the board. The approved budget for the Stephens County School System for 2008-09 is $37.7 million, the same as for last fiscal year.

“I just wanted to understand the taxes a little bit better,” said Linda Bowers, a lifelong Stephens County resident who attended a public hearing Friday.

By leaving the tax rate the same, the school board actually added to the school system revenue compared with last year. Because the county tax digest was increased, the same millage rate should generate $700,000 more than last fiscal year, officials said.That additional revenue will come in handy, officials said, as the school board grapples with a freeze on state-funded grants, which are part of the Homestead Tax Credit Program, and a 2 percent cut in Georgia Department of Education funding.

In total, Stephens County School System faces a $1.15 million cut in funding compared with last year.

According to Annah Dodge, finance director for the system, the fund balance of the system is large enough to absorb the cut.

Gary Steppe, superintendent of the school system, said officials plan to look at the system budget to see where cuts might be made before action is taken to dip into the fund balance.