The Chattooga County Board of Education is set to significantly reduce its millage rate for the upcoming fiscal year, a move that will lighten the tax burden on residents while still projecting an increase in revenue for the school system. A public hearing on the proposed 2025 property tax digest and rollback millage rate is scheduled for Thursday, September 12.

According to its proposed 2025 property tax digest notice, the Chattooga County School Board will not raise taxes this year. In fact, the board plans to decrease the millage rate from 10.597 mills to 10.049 mills. Despite this reduction, the school system is poised to receive an additional $349,459 in revenue.

This positive financial outlook for the school system, coupled with a lower tax rate for property owners, is attributed to a substantial rise in the county’s overall tax digest. The digest, which represents the total value of taxable property in the county, jumped from $781 million last year to an impressive $877 million this year.

This upward trend in property values is not a recent phenomenon. County records indicate a steady increase over the past five years, with the tax digest nearly doubling since 2020—growing from $464 million to almost $900 million. This growth has allowed the board to implement a “rollback millage rate,” reducing the tax rate while still capturing additional funds from the expanded tax base.

Community members are strongly encouraged to attend the public hearing to provide input on the proposed tax digest and rollback millage rate. The meeting will take place on Thursday, September 12, beginning at 7:30 a.m. It will be held at the Chattooga County Education Center, located at 206 Penn Street in Summerville.