The Griffin-Spalding County Board of Education during its regular meeting Tuesday voted unanimously to adopt the fiscal year 2011 budget as proposed by Assistant Superintendent and Chief Financial Officer Jim Smith. No changes had been made to the budget since it was originally presented by Smith on June 8.

The largest part of the approximately $113 million budget consists of the general fund with about $76 million, which is almost $5 million lower than last fiscal year’s general fund. This reduction is mainly due to significant reductions in state funding.

The budget does not include local tax increases, as the general fund millage rate is expected to remain at 18.8 mills — the same rate as last year.

Also at the meeting, Assistant Superintendent Denise Burrell emphasized the positive outcome of the recent Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT) scores.

“We made significant progress this year, and that’s a good thing to say,” Burrell said.

Five out of eight grades increased their math scores compared to last year, with eighth grade improving by 16.7 percent. In reading, which is also administered to grades one through eight, six grades showed improvements over 2009.

Burrell added that CRCT retest results for grades three, five and eight indicate that the school system will have another increase in reading and math.

In other business, the board unanimously voted to retain Griffin attorney Tim Shepherd as the board attorney for the 2010-2011 school year.