School Safety Committee Added To FCS Budget

SANDY SPRINGS, GA — The Fulton County School Board on Thursday will consider approving its $1.05-billion operating budget for the 2018-19 school year. The balanced budget will be presented during a called meeting at 10 a.m. June 28 at the North Learning Center at 450 Northridge Parkway in Sandy Springs.

Presentation of the final budget follows earlier approval of the district’s fiscal year tentative budget and two public hearings inviting public comment and input. FCS notes the proposed final budget includes the following additions or changes:

• The initial proposed budget recommended a $9.4 million addition to the ending fund balance to prepare for future year projections. This has since been eliminated from the budget recommendation.
• The final proposed budget calls for the creation of a Fulton County Schools Safety Advisory Committee tasked with reviewing the district’s current safety and security systems and processes and recommending additional measures and enhancements for all schools, with emphasis on elementary campuses.

The two changes were the reasons why board member Katie Reeves said she opposed giving tentative approval of the 2019 budget earlier this month. Reeves argued for the system to return the $9.4 million to Fulton County taxpayers and for the system to create the Safety Advisory Committee.

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Other highlights from the proposed final budget include pay increases for teachers and staff and additional support for Fulton students. If approved, all eligible Fulton County Schools employees would receive a paid step increase; and teachers on Steps 4-14 also would receive a 2 percent pay hike, beginning in January. Additionally, the proposed budget provides funding for 10 social workers to staff Fulton’s social-emotional learning initiative.

Instruction – at 68 percent of the general fund – remains the largest allocation of the budget, with the remaining 32 percent budgeted for pupil transportation, maintenance and operations, and other administrative functions.

As part of the budget development process, Fulton used an approach called “modified zero-based budgeting,” that closely aligns funding needs with the district’s priorities. This process was first adopted in 2013 and requires that the budget be developed from the bottom up and based on demonstrated need, rather than approving incremental increases or decreases.

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