The Long County Board of Education slightly lowered the property-tax rate Monday.

The old millage rate was 13.5. It was lowered by 0.017 to 13.483 mills.

Chief Financial Officer Bridget Welch said lowering the rate was possible because the county’s anticipated revenue is more than expected due to the county’s growth.

As a result of this, she said, the board could lower the millage rate by a small percentage and still generate the desired revenue to meet the budget.

The board also approved the Schedule of Approved Local Option Sales Tax for Projects report letter. Welch said the report shows that two Education Local Option Sales Tax projects from 2007 and 2011 were paid off, and that the 1 percent tax would now begin paying on the principal and interest for the new high school.

The board approved a memorandum of an agreement between the state and the school system with regard to Long County Middle School being designated as a Focus School by the Georgia Department of Education. Long County School System Superintendent Dr. Robert Waters said the agreement was necessary for the school to receive $50,000 to help continue working toward being taken off of the list.

At last month’s board meeting, Chief of Staff Dr. Glenn Purcell said that despite LCMS currently meeting the standards to be taken off the list, the state kept it on because Walker Elementary School, a feeder school, had the designation before LCMS was created two years ago.

Purcell said that because LCMS is only two years old, it does not qualify to be taken off the list because the state requires three years of information to be evaluated. He said the school had appealed the state’s decision, requesting that the state either provide an exemption to the school for the change or only use the figures for its two years of existence.

The board also scheduled a budget meeting for 11 a.m. Thursday.

Several board members said after the meeting they would eat turkey and dressing with the students. The members were Dennis DeLoach, Dr. Carolyn Williamson, Julie Dawson, Florence Baggs and Chairwoman Janet Watford.