No Furloughs, Few Funding Increases in New School Budget

While Fulton County Schools' budget for the new school year includes no teacher furloughs, it also provides few program funding increases.

In a unanimous vote, the school board gave final approval on Tuesday to an $819.5 million general fund budget for the 2011-12 school year.

The budget provides funding for an anticipated 1,600 additional students and the teachers and support staff needed to accommodate the growth. It also does not include any furlough days for employees, and if the proposed millage rate is approved, there will be no property tax increase for most homeowners. 

“This budget is an indication that the state and local financial landscape is improving,” said Robert Avossa, superintendent of the Fulton County School System, in a press release. “I give credit to [recently retired superintendent] Dr. Cindy Loe for working diligently with the school board and financial services staff to create a budget that is financially sound and takes care of our students and staff.”

“Like other school systems, Fulton has experienced several difficult budget years,” added Linda Schultz, school board president. “I’m pleased, though, to see that this budget continues to put a focus on students and the classroom while also keeping our staff a priority by eliminating furlough days.”

Due to the still-tight financial times, the FY 2012 budget provides few program funding increases, but it does provide for new language arts textbooks in grades kindergarten through 12 as well as increased flexibility in some local school funding areas. It also keeps the millage rate the same, which means no increase in school property taxes for most homeowners.

Fulton’s total proposed millage is comprised of an 18.502 maintenance and operations (M&O) rate and a full rollback of the debt service rate. The rates officially will be adopted at a to-be-announced date and are expected to remain the lowest in the metropolitan Atlanta area.