Board Bulletin for 2/14/2024

 

The Fulton County Board of Education (FCBOE) met on Tuesday, February 13, 2024, for its regularly scheduled work session meeting at the North Learning Center. The full agenda is available online. All items approved are available via BoardDocs. Meetings are streamed live on the FCS district homepage. Recordings will be available within 48 hours.

Superintendent's Report
Dr. Mike Looney recognized February 15th as National School Resource Officer Day by thanking our men and women in uniform for keeping our schools safe, adding that school safety is intertwined with community safety and noting it takes a collective effort to come together to keep our schools and communities safe. Addressing students, Dr. Looney reminded them about the icon on their school-issued devices used for reporting anonymous tips and encouraged them "if you see something, say something."

Annual Perception Survey
Executive Director of Strategy and Governance Dr. Ryan Moore presented information related to the start of the Fulton County Schools Annual Perception Survey which opened for students, staff, and parents on Monday, February 12th and stays open through Friday, March 15th. The presentation featured high-level results from last year's survey and how the district has used that data to inform decisions. Moore added a reminder that all the information from our surveys can be found on the Board's Balanced Scorecard. He stated the district's goal for this year is to increase participation by 5% or more for every group. Click here to see the full Annual Perception Survey presentation. Take the survey now.

Financial Services Division Update
Chief Financial Officer Marvin Dereef presented a comprehensive update on the district's Financial Services division, which is overseen by a leadership team with more than 124 years of combined service to the district. The complex work of the district's financial management system focuses on governance, processes, people, and resources. Just a few of the processes the division manages include retirement, accounting, and budget and grant services, and more than $268 million in federal funding for the district's Bridge to Success plan. Investing in relationships, the division focuses on the needs of the customer and prides itself on increasing collaboration to improve service and transparency. One of the ways the division remains transparent in communicating the district's financials is through tools like the Balanced Scorecard and multiple types of software that help support the business of the organization.

While emphasizing that challenges are not unusual for an organization of this size, Mr. Dereef pointed to hurdles the division has encountered over the past year like rising costs and hiring and retaining highly qualified staff. However, the Financial Services division is widely known for receiving many awards and achievements for the work they do in accounting, budgeting, and procurement. Most recently, Mr. Dereef was honored with the prestigious Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO) International Eagle Award recognizing outstanding leadership, dedication, and intellectual contributions to the field of education. In conjunction with this accolade, he announced the launch of the "Dereef College Scholarship Program," which aims to provide a one-time, $1,000 scholarship to several students who intend to pursue an undergraduate degree in business or education at Clark Atlanta University, Tulane University, or other institutions of higher learning.

Finally, he added the district's financial audit for FY 2023 resulted in good standing with zero findings and no issues. In fact, after the Board took over the local pension fund ten years ago, all liabilities including retirees' pensions are now 93.5% funded. In a few years, the general fund contribution to the pension plan will be reduced by at least $18 million due to the financial division's strong fiscal management. Click here to see the full Financial Services Division Update presentation.

Sale of Crabapple Center
The Board approved the sale of the current Crabapple Center and former Crabapple Middle School to the City of Roswell for $6.5 million. The site is just over 20 acres, already zoned for civic use, and directly borders Roswell Area Park, making it ideal for future expansion of the City’s parks and recreation programming.

Virtual Policy Office Hours
Have a question about FCS policies? Do you want to learn more about the process? The Continuous Improvement department is hosting monthly virtual office hours where a team member will answer questions and provide guidance. The next Virtual Policy Office Hour will be on February 21 from 8-9 a.m. Click here to join the meeting. All dates, times, and links are located on the policy update webpage.

New Hires & Promotions
The following individual was approved for a new position at the Board meeting:

• Tomeka Billingsley | Executive Director, Accounting Services

2024-25 Community Meetings with Board Members
Each member of the Fulton County Board of Education sponsors a monthly meeting open to all members of the community. The sessions provide an opportunity for direct contact with community members and give board members a chance to listen to local issues and concerns. Click here to see the meeting schedules of all Board members.