Board Bulletin for 12/15/2023

 

The Fulton County Board of Education (FCBOE) met on Thursday, December 14, 2023, for its regularly scheduled work session meeting at the South Learning Center. The full agenda is available online. All items approved are available via BoardDocs. Meetings are streamed live on the Fulton County Schools (FCS) district homepage. Recordings will be available within 48 hours.

Superintendent's Report

During the Superintendent's report, Chief Academic Officer Brannon Gaskins informed the Board that Fulton County Schools (FCS) students across all grade levels have once again outperformed the state average in the recently released College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) by the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE). Scores increased year-over-year in most categories, notably setting a record high graduation score and increasing in all three areas of elementary level content mastery - English language arts (ELA), mathematics and science. Scores for elementary grades on both closing the gap and progress for English language proficiency were an impressive 100, the highest scores possible. Additionally, graduation scores have seen real progress with FCS scoring 90.5.

Superintendent Dr. Mike Looney followed up the presentation adding that FCS is dedicated to keeping these levels of high achievement while also improving in certain areas of focus, particularly in our middle schools.

CSI/TSI Update
Principal Dr. Maisha Otway presented an update on the progress of College Park Elementary School, which has been designated as a Comprehensive Support Improvement (CSI) school. College Park has one of the highest numbers of directly certified students in the district, which is an indicator of families undergoing extremely challenging circumstances. Sixty percent of College Park students meet that criterion. College Park has a CSI Tier IV designation, which is based on three Georgia Milestones Assessment System (GMAS) testing cycles and goes back to the 2017-18 school year.

Dr. Otway excitedly shared that the 2023 GMAS results show a nine-point increase in content mastery over last school year and an overall increase over pre-Covid-19 times. In addition to increasing overall content mastery, College Park has continued to make progress and close the gap for all students as evidenced by their progress score of 93.9 and a closing the gap score of 100. While celebrating the progress the school has made, Dr. Otway says she is cognizant of the work ahead to overcome the barriers to achieving transformational goals, including attendance and staffing challenges. The school's next milestone is to reach the district average content mastery by providing a coherent vision for school leaders, teachers, and students.

Midyear Budget Adjustments
The Board took two actions to invest in academics and student achievement for the remainder of the current fiscal year and moving into FY 2024-25. Continuing a long-held standard of solid financial stewardship over taxpayer dollars, Chief Financial Officer Marvin Dereef provided an update on the mid-year budget adjustments. The proposed changes show an increase in revenue from ad valorem taxes and a decrease in expenditures that represent a net increase to the district's projected fund balance. Due to the improved financial standing, Dr. Looney charged leaders with identifying areas for investment that could have an immediate impact on student achievement. These include ELA and math training, support for ESOL students, attendance recovery, stipends for middle school and reading teachers among other items. A full detail of the mid-year adjustments can be found here.

In addition, the Board voted to approve the School Allotment Guidelines, which allow principals and school leaders to begin their planning process for the next school year's budget. The guidelines account for approximately 78 percent of the total general fund budget and demonstrate the commitment to classroom and school-level funding.

2024 Legislative Agenda
As legislators prepare for the 2024 state legislative session, the Board and superintendent have been communicating with the Fulton County Schools Delegation to discuss issues important to our district. The vote this week to approve the 2024 legislative priorities formalized the items the Board agreed were the most critical for the Georgia General Assembly to address. The priorities were focused on state funding, counselors, literacy coaches, dual enrollment, vouchers, and the impact of local tax exemptions. The full set of priorities can be found here.

Revised 2023-24 Board Meeting Calendar
The Board has approved the revised 2023-2024 Board meeting calendar, which includes a new location for the January 18, 2024 meeting and changing the meeting date in May to Wednesday, May 15. Please see the revised schedule with dates marked in yellow.

2024-2025 Instructional Calendar
Based on feedback from the Board, modifications were made to the previously approved 2024-25 instructional calendar. The following list highlights the changes:

• December 20, 2024 is the last day of first semester
• January 3, 2025 will now be a holiday for students and staff
• January 6, 2025 will now be a teacher workday
• January 7, 2025 is the first day students report for second semester
• Spring Break will now be April 7, 2025 through April 11, 2025

Click here to see the 2024-25 instructional calendar.

New Hires and Promotions
The following individual was approved for a new position at the Board meeting:
Nancy Lahey | Principal, Hembree Springs Elementary School