The Hall County Schools Board is holding a public meeting tonight to present its tentative fiscal year 2012 budget, which will go up for adoption on June 23.

The board has a projected year-end balance of $14.5 million.

"Because we've done so much cutting over the past three years, that projected balance is a saving grace," Hall school Superintendent Will Schofield said.

As in fiscal 2011, the county system will be operating on a 182-day work schedule for 2012. Schofield said this budget was created with that many days in mind.

"There's a day in February we'll add back if in December we don't have any negative financial surprises," he said.

The school board is facing several challenges for fiscal 2012.

There is at least a $1 million to $2 million anticipated revenue loss due to property tax appeals, and rising diesel fuel costs are expected to increase expenditures by $1 million.

Stimulus funding, which paid for the salaries of 80 special education paraprofessionals in fiscal 2011, is gone as well.

"We're having to bring that back into general funds," Schofield said.

Schofield said the board planned to take advantage of the roll-up rate.

The Gainesville City School Board is also meeting for a work session tonight.

"We're having an audit report just to us tomorrow, which will be the audit to officially bring us out of deficit," Gainesville Superintendent Merrianne Dyer said. "That won't be presented at this meeting, but we might talk about it."