Board Bulletin for 4/17/2024

 

The Fulton County Board of Education met on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, for its regularly scheduled Board meeting at the North Learning Center. Following are highlights of some of the more highly discussed topics, with the full agenda available online. Other topics discussed or approved are available via BoardDocs. Summaries of Board actions can be found here and Board policy updates can be found here.

Superintendent’s Report
In his report, Superintendent Mike Looney recognized that April is designated as the Month of the Military Child, underscoring the significant role military children play in the armed forces community. April is also National Autism Awareness Month and National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Districtwide awareness day is on April 26. Everyone is asked to wear blue to help raise awareness for Child Abuse Prevention.

Additionally, Dr. Looney noted that April 1-5 was National Assistant Principals Week. Although school was off for spring break, Dr. Looney wanted to be sure to honor all the Assistant Principals for their tremendous work within our schools while also recognizing that April 3 was Paraprofessional Appreciation Day. Finally, April 8-12 was National Library Week, an annual celebration highlighting the valuable role libraries, librarians, and library workers play in transforming lives and strengthening our communities.

Election Day Calendar Change
Pending approval at the April 25 Board meeting, Tuesday, May 21 may be set as a remote learning day to allow for district schools to be used as state election polling sites. State law requires schools to permit voting when requested by the Fulton County Department of Registrations and Elections. On May 21, 49 schools will host elections with a large number of public visitors on campus, creating concerns about student and staff safety. District administration is working with schools to create alternative plans for student activities already scheduled at schools that will be polling sites. The Board will vote on this calendar change at the April 25 Board meeting.

Accreditation Status
Executive Director of Governance and Strategy Dr. Ryan Moore announced that FCS has re-earned its accreditation status through 2030. Dr. Moore highlighted the district’s commitment to transparency through stakeholder engagement and decision-making input as some of the reasons for this accreditation as well as its highly engaged governing authority focused on continuous improvement and equity of resource allocation.

Capital Plan 2027
The district will begin the third year of the capital program for fiscal year 2027. As a part of the district’s budget process, staff annually reviews the Capital Program including the project execution schedule, forecasted expenditures, projected revenue, budgets, and cash flows. Staff reports progress toward capital objectives, adjusts priorities based upon revenue and the needs of the district, and revises the five-year cash flow and budget.

Deputy Chief Information Officer Kenya Williams kicked off the presentation, explaining how Capital Plan 2027 has allowed the district to provide access, infrastructure, security, and software tools for all students, teachers and staff. The five-year vision for Capital Plan 2027 is inclusive of all students, teachers, and staff. All technology projects and initiatives will touch all stakeholders at some point in the 5-year plan and allow students to experience access to devices, collaborative platforms, and high-quality content to support student achievement.

Ms. Williams then presented an overall look at each of the priority categories and corresponding projects. In each area, the IT staff will continue to sustain work and, in some projects, upgrade or expand the Capital Plan 2027 initiative. These cyclical projects include providing teachers and staff with specific program devices, classroom projectors and wireless access points. The district will also refresh and replace equipment and fulfill annual maintenance and software costs.

Next, Chief Operations Officer Noel Maloof accompanied by Bill Boyajan, executive director of Capital Programs, and Gene Burnett, director for Jacobs, the district’s construction program manager, presented a comprehensive overview of the facilities master plan. The presentation began with an update on market conditions and cost control measures. The team reviewed the tiered approach to scope development on the major renovations. They discussed the difference in the scope for 18 major renovation projects and the 18 additional critical system projects. The team presented details about projects slated for years one through five, with the second wave of projects beginning this summer. They also reviewed the associated allocations and established budgets for each of the projects. At the end the team summarized where the district is with the overall budget and what the variance is between the original allocations and expected expenditures. The team also shared the FY25 budgets for transportation, furniture and equipment, and safety and security.

According to Executive Director of Risk and Asset Management Anica Golding, the 2025 5-year revenue budget is $1.26 billion, which represents an increase of approximately $8 million over 2024. This increase is primarily due to interest earnings, which are projected to be higher due to rising interest rates. After comparing the current sales tax forecast to actual receipts, which were on average 1% lower than the actual amount received from August 2022 to March 2024, it is recommended to reduce the remaining current forecast receipts by 1%. The total 5-year disbursements are now projected at $1.26 billion with approximately $133 million in project reserve and $124 million in program reserve. Short-term borrowing is not expected. See the full presentation here.

Board Community Meetings
Each member of the Fulton County Board of Education sponsors a monthly meeting that is open to the public. These meetings provide an opportunity for community members to have direct conversations with their elected Board representative about local issues and concerns. Find your Board member and view the Community Meeting Calendar.