Board Bulletin for 8/7/2024

 

The Fulton County Board of Education met Tuesday August 6, 2024 for its regularly-scheduled work session at the North Learning Center. The full agenda is available online via BoardDocs. Meetings are streamed live on the FCS homepage, with recordings available within 48 hours.

Superintendent’s Report

Superintendent Mike Looney expressed gratitude to students, staff, and parents for a smooth school year opening. He commended maintenance crews, transportation and nutrition staff, and teachers for their efforts.

Dr. Looney praised high school students for record-breaking 2024 AP Exam results. Highlights of the AP results were presented by Chief Academic Officer Brannon Gaskins and include:

• Increase in AP exam takers from 8,360 in 2021 to 10,888 in 2024.
• Total exams administered rose from 16,268 to 22,731.
• Record-high pass rate of 72.9%, with double-digit gains in seven courses.
• Seventeen out of 18 high schools (excluding Independence High School and independent charter schools) increased the number of AP exams administered. Fourteen schools improved pass rates, with Riverwood High School notable for a 16.6% increase and 252 additional exams.

Fulton County Schools exceeded the national average pass rates in 31 of 39 courses, including all four math courses. Notably, the Physics C: Mechanics exam had an 88.2% pass rate, over 27% higher than the national average. The most popular exams in 2024 were Precalculus (2,188 students), English Language and Composition (2,123 students), and World History: Modern (1,992 students).

Appointment to Fill District 1 Vacancy

Sara Gillespie, elected by voters to represent District 1 on the Fulton County Board of Education, will complete the remaining term of outgoing Board Member Katha Stuart, who is retiring at the end of August. The School Board appointed Ms. Gillespie effective October 8 to serve the rest of the current term, which ends on December 31, 2024. She will then begin her elected four-year term on January 1, 2025. District 1 covers primarily Roswell and parts of Alpharetta, and includes the Centennial, Roswell and Milton high school clusters.

Ms. Stuart thanked the Board and her community for their support over her nine years serving on the Board. She highlighted accomplishments during her tenure and announced she would be holding her final Community Meeting at Mountain Park Elementary School, where she says her commitment to Fulton County Schools began as a parent volunteer. The Board and attendees expressed their appreciation for Ms. Stuart’s commitment with a standing ovation after her comments.

Ms. Gillespie joins the School Board as a leader with professional experience in both the education and business sectors. With a former career in college admissions, she has initiated and managed budgets, directed community outreach, created communication strategies, managed recruitment and volunteer roles, and supported continuing education for women and children. She and her husband have two children attending Fulton County schools, and she was a co-president of the Mountain Park Elementary School PTA.

Millage Rate Rollback

The Board approved a millage rate of 17.08, a reduction from the tentatively approved rate of 17.13 in June, maintaining Fulton County Schools' position as having one of the lowest school millage rates in the metro Atlanta area. After the final required public hearings for a partial rollback of the FY2025 millage rate, the Board discussed amending Dr. Looney’s new proposal of 17.08 mills. However, they decided the rate was necessary to maintain educational resources within the district. With this approval, the School Board has either lowered or maintained a flat millage rate for the past seven years. Six of those years saw reductions, continuing their commitment to strong financial stewardship of taxpayer dollars.

Back-to-School Update

Divisional leaders provided a Back-to-School Update. Mr. Gaskins discussed expanded curricular programs, including the third year of LETRS training and a new dyslexia screening process for K-3 students. New elementary math and secondary world language textbooks will be introduced, and new English/Language Arts curriculum standards will be implemented next year. The district’s early childhood program is expanding with seven new pre-K classrooms. High schools and middle schools are transitioning to the Canvas Learning Management System.

Fulton County Schools is replacing the state-operated GNETS with the PATHS program for increased social and therapeutic supports. The Student Code of Conduct now clarifies that attending a non-zone school is a privilege that can be revoked for conduct violations. Harassment is redefined to include race, color, ethnicity, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, ancestry, national origin, disability, and physical attributes.

Mr. Gaskins concluded with the opening of The Promise Career Institute, the district’s newest high school. Located on the property that once housed McClarin High School, PCI provides traditional high school classes in addition to career and technical programming that can lead to Atlanta Technical College certifications and an Advanced Career diploma.

Dr. Joe Phillips, the new chief information officer, shared IT preparations, including cleaning and reimaging 76,646 devices and repairing 2,876. A “Safe Device” campaign will educate middle school students on device care.

Dr. Phillips said his team met the goal of ensuring safe and functioning devices that were ready for student distribution at every school. Middle and high school students are issued take-home devices for learning, and in elementary schools, classroom sets called “smart carts” are used. With middle schools experiencing a higher number of devices being damaged or lost, the district has created a “Safe Device” informational campaign to educate sixth- through eighth-graders on proper care. Specialized protective cases also are being installed on middle school devices. Additionally, to improve school support, elementary technology specialists will be deployed to assist middle and high schools throughout the year as needed.

Chief Human Resources Officer Gonzalo La Cava reported a 99% filled teaching vacancy rate and a reduction in onboarding time. Dr. La Cava praised the Human Resources team for meeting Dr. Looney’s challenge to reduce hiring and onboarding times. Three years ago, onboarding took over 37 days, causing candidates to leave for other districts. Today, it takes 10 days or fewer. The district employs approximately 12,362 staff, with a teacher retention rate of 88%. Seven new principals and fourteen new assistant principals were introduced for the new school year.

Chief Operations Officer Noel Maloof discussed construction projects, including renovations at The Promise Career Institute, replacement of Conley Hills Elementary, and site preparation for the new North Springs High School. S.L. Lewis Elementary School, which closed at the end of last school year, will soon be torn down to make way for a replacement school on the site.

In addition to these large construction projects, the Capital Programs Department completed major renovations, roof replacements, safety upgrades, practice turf installations, and freezer/cooler replacements across the district. The Capital Programs Department completed over 140 projects, with 45 new ones beginning in the design phase.

Transportation operations were highlighted, with 935 buses transporting over 78,000 students daily. More than 63% of the fleet uses alternative fuels. Driver shortages persist, but all routes are covered. Mr. Maloof encouraged parents to utilize the "Here Comes the Bus" app, which allows them to track their student’s bus.

Commercial kitchens in each school provide nutritious meals. Meal prices increased slightly, and the Free & Reduced Meal Benefits Program continues for qualifying households. Prepaying for student meals is encouraged via MyPaymentsPlus.

Mr. Maloof credited the district’s annual Back-to-School pep rally – called First Day Fulton – for helping many students get ready for the new year. At the eighth annual event, held concurrently at Banneker High School and Riverwood High School, more than 4,000 families received help with school registration, health screenings, and community organizations giveaways. Over 3,400 backpacks stuffed with school supplies were distributed and 800 families received groceries.

The full Back-to-School presentation is posted online.