Board Bulletin for 9/11/2025
Board Bulletin for 9/11/2025
The Fulton County Board of Education met on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, for its regularly scheduled School Board meeting at the North Learning Center. The full agenda is available via Simbli, a website that makes the Board agenda and all supporting documents available online. Meetings are streamed live on the FCS homepage, with recordings available within 48 hours.
Superintendent’s Update
September is Suicide Prevention Month, a time to raise awareness, offer support, and promote resources that can help save lives. Dr. Mike Looney highlighted how Fulton County Schools (FCS) is committed to supporting student mental health and follows the ACT model—Acknowledge, Care, Tell. This approach encourages students and staff to acknowledge when someone may be struggling, show that they care, and tell a trusted adult or professional who can help. By fostering a culture of empathy and action, FCS aims to ensure every student feels seen, supported, and safe.
Strategic Plan Update: Prioritize Safety and Operational Efficiency
The Operations Division kicked off its first update of the year, highlighting strategic accomplishments from the 2024–2025 school year and previewing initiatives for 2025–2026. Led by Chief Operations Officer Noel Maloof, Deputy Chief Operations Officer Yngrid Huff and five executive directors, the division continues to drive excellence across Transportation, Capital Programs, Facilities and Maintenance, Operational Planning, and School Nutrition.
Celebrating initiatives from 2024-25, Transportation improved on-time bus arrivals to 93%, it also increased staff recognition through “Fulton’s Finest,” and reduced spare bus usage to just 4%.
Impressively, School Nutrition introduced 86 new menu items, earned “A” health inspection scores across all schools, and donated over 5,100 food items through community drives. Operational efficiencies led to $800,000 in savings on supplies and equipment.
Additionally, Facilities and Maintenance completed over 42,000 work orders, painted 21 schools, and deployed robotic sweepers. Capital Programs opened Briar Hills Elementary School, kept change orders below 3%, and collected $2.6 million in facility rental fees.
The Operational Planning department has made significant strides in supporting initiatives that enhance efficiency and family engagement. One of the most impactful efforts was the implementation of the change of school assignment (COSA) process, which resulted in 977 students accepting school placement offers—spanning elementary, middle, and high school levels. This reflects the district's commitment to providing families with meaningful school choice options.
The team played a key role in guiding school closures, consolidation, and redistricting efforts. These changes were strategically designed to optimize classroom space, improve operational efficiency, and support long-term sustainability across the district.
The Operations executive team also kicked off leadership development aligned with the district’s core values—teamwork, integrity, and accountability—focusing on customer service, conflict resolution, and team decision-making.
Looking ahead, Mr. Maloof said the Operations Division will continue to be guided by the strategic goals the district has established, with a continued commitment to delivering high-quality service and strengthening engagement with all stakeholders. See the full presentation here.
Zone 7 Update: Leading with Excellence
This year, each of Fulton County Schools’ seven zones will take turns presenting to the Board and district stakeholders. These presentations are designed to showcase the unique strengths, achievements, and priorities of each zone. This edition highlights Zone 7, offering an inside look at its schools, leadership, and student success.
Led by Dr. Kibbey Crumbley, Zone 7 serves 16,558 students in 16 schools across Alpharetta and Milton. The student population is diverse, with strong representation across racial and ethnic groups and nearly one-third participating in special programs.
Zone 7 boasts a 97.1% graduation rate, 19 state championships in 2025, an IB world campus, and a high-tech STEM campus. Academic performance continues to rise, with an 8.4% increase in students exceeding proficiency and a 3.5% drop in beginning proficiency over five years.
The 16 principals, each promoted from within the district, bring a combined 310 years of experience. All were former assistant principals in the district, reflecting our strong leadership development pipeline.
Attendance is a key focus, with schools like Crabapple Crossing Elementary and Creek View Elementary achieving over 97% satisfactory attendance. Webb Bridge Middle School now has the district’s lowest chronic absenteeism rate at 4.4%.
Unique to Zone 7 are the dedicated School Liaison Officers from the cities of Alpharetta and Milton, supporting elementary schools and strengthening community ties.
Career, Technical and Agricultural Education (CTAE) is thriving, with 32 courses and multiple pathways offered across high schools.
The zone is also focused on building a sense of belonging through student voice, family engagement, and peer support initiatives at every school level. Zone 7 continues to embody the district’s mission: putting students first through academic excellence, strong leadership, and community partnership. See the full presentation here.
2027-2028 Instructional Calendar Parameters
Following Board Policies AE and AEA, staff are preparing to present a proposed calendar for the 2027–28 school year for Board approval. Before doing so, the Board must review and approve the key calendar guidelines listed below. Once approved, these guidelines will be used to develop the final calendar recommendation.
The following is the list of the proposed calendar parameters:
- Aim for 180 instructional days during the year.
- Plan as many full weeks of instruction as possible.
- Include a full week at the Thanksgiving holiday for students.
- Conclude first semester prior to the winter holiday break in December.
- Include two full weeks for students during the winter holiday break in December.
- Aim for spring break to be the first full week in April, following the first Sunday in April, to align with metro districts.
- Utilize remote learning in the event of state/national elections or other emergency situations.
- Conclude the last day of school for students prior to Memorial Day weekend.
- Consider opportunities for fall and winter breaks.
Pre-Work Session
Fulton County Schools’ pre-work session is a public meeting that takes place before each monthly work session. It is an opportunity for the Board to receive policy drafts, provide feedback, give presentations, or focus on topics of interest. Audio recordings of the pre-work session are available within 48 hours. Topics discussed at this week’s session include:
Board Recognitions
Each month, the Board recognizes outstanding students, staff, and schools honored at the state, national, or international level. Honorees must have placed first at the regional or state level or be among the top finishers at the national or international level. The following teams and individuals were honored at the meeting:
- FCS’ Student Support Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) Team named 2025 Student Support Team Association for Georgia Educators (SSTAGE) STAR award recipient
- FCS’ Contracting department honored with the 2025 Achievement of Excellence in Procurement (AEP) Award by the National Procurement Institute (NPI)
2025-26 Community Meetings with Board Members
Each member of the Fulton County Board of Education sponsors a monthly meeting open to all community members. 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.
