95,000 Students Expected For 2018-19 School Year

SANDY SPRINGS, GA — The Fulton County School System will kick off the 2018-19 school year on Monday, Aug. 6 for tens of thousands of students around the county. When school bells ring for the first time next week, FCSS will be the fourth largest school district in Georgia, with a projected enrollment of approximately 95,215 students.

The system includes 106 schools – 59 elementary schools, 19 middle schools, 18 high schools and 10 start-up charter schools. Here's a rundown of what you can expect when your little ones (and teens) return to their academic routines next week:

New Teachers and School/District Leaders

By the summer’s end, Fulton County Schools will have welcomed nearly 700 new teachers, bringing the district’s total teaching force to about 6,800. Retirements and promotions also have led to changes in principals and leadership at the district office:

Central Office

• Chief Academic Officer: Clifford Jones
• Northeast Learning Community Area Superintendent: Tim Corrigan
• Northwest Learning Community Area Superintendent: Kibbey Crumbley
• South Learning Community Area Superintendent: Gyimah Whitaker
• South Learning Community Area Executive Director: Ron Maxwell

Elementary Schools

• Alpharetta Elementary School: Kathleen Stamper
• Asa G. Hilliard Elementary School: Maureen Lilly
• College Park Elementary School: Maisha Otway
• Dolvin Elementary School: Karen Cooke
• Esther Jackson Elementary School: Nikol Boyd
• Findley Oaks Elementary School: Camille Christopher
• Hillside Elementary School: Hardray Dumas
• Parklane Elementary School: Marissa Wilson
• River Eves Elementary School: Matthew Donaho
• Roswell North Elementary School: Lydia Conway
• Summit Hill Elementary School: Lorrie Bearden

Middle Schools

• Bear Creek Middle School: Felipe Jackson
• Holcomb Bridge Middle School: Jennifer Cassidy
• River Trail Middle School: Neil Pinnock
• Taylor Road Middle School: Kelly Parker

High Schools

• Cambridge High School: Kimberly Premoli
• Centennial High School: Anthony Newbold
• Chattahoochee High School: Tim Duncan
• Creekside High School: Frankie Pollock
• McClarin Success Academy: Kedra Fairweather
• Westlake High School: Jamar Robinson

New STEM Resources

Fulton County Schools has acquired iReady Math to supplement classroom instruction and provide additional support or to accelerate learning as needed. Kindergarten through eighth grade students will receive a personalized pathway of learning based on his/her instructional needs. Teachers will receive targeted resources, identified through student performance, to support students during small group and one-on-one instruction. Parents may be familiar with the program as the district already uses iReady Reading with students.

High School Science Resources

New high school science resources are debuting in Biology, Physical Science, Chemistry, Earth Systems, Environmental Science, Physics, AP Chemistry, AP Physics 1, 2, & C, AP Environmental Science, Forensic Science, Human Anatomy, Botany, and Astronomy courses. Resources were reviewed by teachers and stakeholders last school year and then adopted by the school board for use in 2018-2019.

3DE Expansion at Banneker High School and Northview High School

Formerly called JA Academy, 3DE is a program sponsored by Junior Achievement that integrates interdisciplinary methods, relevant connections, entrepreneurial thinking, and authentic project-based learning. The name “3DE” reflects the multi-dimensional approach to education that is created through a partnership between Fulton County Schools, Junior Achievement, and the business community. The program is a school-within-a-school model and has a designated wing in both high schools. 3DE also offers an internship program throughout the year with companies like Delta, the Georgia Aquarium, and NCR.
Banneker High School has had the program since 2015 and will be graduating its first class in May 2019, while Northview High School launches it for the first time this fall.

New Career, Technical and Agricultural Education Offerings

New CTAE programs being offered this year support the school system’s Strategic Plan goal of “preparing all students to graduate ready to pursue and succeed on their chosen paths.”

• Banneker High School: The school’s Healthcare Science program has been expanded to include Sports Medicine.
• Camp Creek Middle School: New programs this year include Audio, Video, Technology, and Film.
• Crabapple Middle School: New programs this year include Graphic Design.
• Creekside High School: The school’s Agriculture Education program has been expanded to include Agribusiness Management and Leadership, while the Graphic Design program now includes Graphic Communication.
• Hopewell Middle School: New programs this year include Marketing.
• Renaissance Middle School: New programs this year include Marketing.
• Sandy Springs Middle School: New programs this year include Audio, Video, Technology, and Film.
• Westlake High School: The school’s Graphic Design program has been expanded to include Graphic Communication.
• Fulton Schools College and Career Academy: The Academy is adding an in-house dual enrollment program with Georgia State University called “Velocity.”

RELATED: Fulton County School Calendar 2018-19

Meal Prices

Breakfast prices will increase $0.05 this year. With the nominal increase, the breakfast prices are now $1.10 for elementary schools and $1.25 for middle and high schools. The reduced breakfast price remains $0.30. Parents are able to join their student for a meal, pending teacher/administrator consent, at $1.60 for breakfast and $3.45 for lunch. For lunch, the cost will remain at $2.45 for elementary schools and $2.70 for middle/high schools, with the reduced price for disadvantaged students at $0.40.

Free Breakfast and Lunch at Selected Schools

Fulton County Schools will continue to offer the Community Eligibility Provision to 27 schools this year. The program provides students in those schools access to free breakfast and lunch. To qualify, a school must have 40 percent or more of its students eligible for free meals over a four-year period.

The qualifying schools include: Asa G. Hilliard Elementary, Bethune Elementary, Brookview Elementary, Campbell Elementary, College Park Elementary, Conley Hills Elementary, Feldwood Elementary, C.H. Gullatt Elementary, Hamilton E. Holmes Elementary, Hapeville Elementary, Heritage Elementary, Lake Forest Elementary, Seaborn Lee Elementary, S.L. Lewis Elementary, Love T. Nolan Elementary, Liberty Point Elementary, Oakley Elementary, Palmetto Elementary, Parklane Elementary, Renaissance Elementary, Camp Creek Middle, McNair Middle, Paul D. West Middle, Woodland Middle, Banneker High, McClarin High, and Tri-Cities High.

Parents of students attending the selected schools do not have to complete a meal application or pay any money for their child’s school breakfast or school lunch in 2018-2019. However, if parents want their child to buy extra portions or approved snacks from the school café, they must send money or place money on their child’s meal account.

Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program

Nineteen Fulton County elementary schools were selected by the Georgia Department of Education to participate in the USDA’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program. This allows the School Nutrition Program to provide a free fresh fruit or vegetable snack to all students outside of the breakfast or lunch meal. The program introduces school children to a variety of free produce that they otherwise might not have the opportunity to sample, while also providing a nourishing snack to help fuel the students’ brain and growing body during the school day. The 19 elementary schools selected are Asa G. Hilliard, Bethune, Brookview, Campbell, Conley Hills, Feldwood, C.H. Gullatt, Hamilton E. Holmes, Hapeville, Heritage, Lake Forest, Oakley, Palmetto, Seaborn Lee, S.L. Lewis, Mimosa, Love T. Nolan, Parklane, and College Park.

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