The Coweta Board of Education gave final approval Tuesday night to a $113 million budget for fiscal 2000.

The budget is the school system's largest ever and is an 8 percent increase over last year's budget.

The increase stems from the county's explosive growth rate and school officials are expecting more than 700 additional students when the school bell clangs in August.

One of the biggest factors in the increase in this year's budget, along with the growth, is a 4 percent raise for the system's teachers and classified personnel.

The system also is hiring extra teachers to lower the pupil-teacher ratio in second grade from 23-1 to 20-1.

Last year, the system lowered the rate to 20-1 for first graders and board member Bill Covington has suggested lowering the rate for all elementary school classrooms.

But in order to do that, the school system would probably have to increase taxes, which has caused a great deal of discussion throughout the county.

Superintendent of education Richard Brooks said the board is still considering the proposal and is seeking input from the community.

“That's not a part of this year's budget. In fact, this budget lowered the millage rate by a quarter of a mill,” he said.

The lowering of the millage rate, according to Brooks, is because the school system received increased revenue from the special local option sales tax program that was approved by voters.

“I don't know what we would have done without SPLOST,” he said.

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