Board Bulletin for 7/19/2024
Board Bulletin for 7/19/2024
The Fulton County Board of Education (FCBOE) met on Thursday, July 18, 2024, for its regularly-scheduled Board Work session at the South Learning Center. The full agenda is available online via BoardDocs. Meetings are streamed live on the FCS district homepage. Recordings will be available within 48 hours.
Superintendent’s Report
In his brief remarks, Dr. Mike Looney reminded everyone that the first day of school begins on Monday, August 5, and encouraged parents and students to get lots of rest in anticipation of the new school year.
Board Vacancy Announcement
District 1 Representative Katha Stuart announced her retirement after nine years of serving on the Board. Her retirement will be effective August 31, 2024. During her comments to the Board, Ms. Stuart indicated that her time on the Board combined with her belief in term limits led her not to seek reelection and the beginning of the new school year was a logical time for a transition in leadership.
“I look forward to celebrating the beginning of yet another school year, and to visiting the incredible educators I have had the pleasure of serving,” said Stuart. “I will have additional comments at the August 6 Board meeting, but for now, I will simply say what an honor it has been to serve in this capacity.”
Fulton County local law (Ga. L. 1984, p. 3591) and Policy ABCC provide the process for filling a Board vacancy. However, there is no precedent for naming a replacement after a candidate has already been selected during the non-partisan election, which occurred on May 21, 2024.
The remaining members of the Board will appoint a qualified resident of District 1 to serve out the remainder of the unexpired term, which ends December 31, 2024. The Board will take into effect the unique timing and consider the options for an appointment to fill the vacancy until January 2025 when Ms. Sara Gillespie will be sworn in as the new District 1 representative. An announcement will be made at the August Board Work Session on next steps.
“On behalf of the Board, I want to thank Ms. Stuart for her dedication and service to Fulton County Schools,” said Board President Kimberly Dove. “Katha’s leadership has been instrumental in driving significant improvements in graduation rates and establishing two STEM schools, even in the face of daunting challenges such as the pandemic.”
Millage Rate Rollback
After the Board Work Session, the Board held the first of three required hearings for a partial rollback of the Fulton County Schools (FCS) millage rate.
The proposed millage rate by Superintendent Dr. Mike Looney would reduce the current rate from 17.14 to 17.13. If approved on August 6, FCS would continue to have one of metro Atlanta’s lowest school tax rates. Board members are considering the possibility of a further reduction in the millage rate. They will review data, including how lower rates, up to the full rollback rate of 3.67%, would impact the FY2025 budget and school operations, before making a final decision on the suggested millage rate.
“I am proud to say that we have either had a partial rollback or maintained a flat millage rate for the last six years. Five of those years were reductions, keeping Fulton County Schools one of the lowest millage rates in the metro area,” said Dr. Looney. “The proposed millage rate is a continuation of a long-term strategy by the Board to reduce tax rates while ensuring our schools have the resources they need to provide the quality education our stakeholders expect.”
The unique “floater” Homestead Exemption for Fulton County Schools reduces the overall homeowner tax burden annually and represents more than $173 million in districtwide taxpayer savings for FY2025. In addition, because FCS has used ESPLOST funding effectively to eliminate any long-term capital debt, the district does not have Debt Service included in the millage rate.
“We want to thank our taxpayers and community for their ongoing support,” said Marvin Dereef, the school system’s Chief Financial Officer. “State revenues only represent around 33% of the district’s total revenue. FCS students benefit from the continued commitment from our community, with local revenue representing almost 67% of the total investment.”
Even though the proposed millage rate of 17.13 mills is a reduction, it is legally defined as a tax increase because it does not equal a full rollback to offset increases in property assessments. As a result, Georgia law requires three public hearings on the millage rate.
The School Board is expected to adopt the final millage rate on August 6, 2024, following the third public hearing. More information on the proposed rates, including the required notice by the Georgia Department of Revenue, is on the FCS website at www.fultonschools.org.
New Hires and Promotions
The following individual was promoted to a new position at the July 18 meeting:
- Rebecca Williams | Executive Director, Academic Programs
