GAINESVILLE — Hall County school officials are considering a tax rollup for the next fiscal year.

The current school millage rate is 17.67 mils and it could go as high as 19.31 mils after school officials approved a total preliminary budget $298 million at last night’s meeting.

How much taxes will increase depends on how much the local tax digest has declined from last year. Preliminary reports indicate that could be as much as 7.75 percent.

Facing a $1.4 million increase in the cost of health insurance for teachers and the state’s withholding $19.2 million in austerity cuts, school officials say a they have little choice but to seek a roll up.

Nath Morris, chairman of the Hall school board, said, “We’ve almost cut everything we can. There is going to be a severe cut in services if we cut much further.”