Fulton school board develops strategic budget

By STEPHEN DOLINGER
School Superintendent

It's budget season in the Fulton County School System.

The county Board of Education will adopt a tentative budget for fiscal year 2002, determine the property tax rate and set salary schedules for employees April 26.

As part of the school system's strategic planning process, the board identified the following four "strategic imperatives" to guide budget decision-making.

Mastery of curriculum by low-performing students and schools;

Teacher recruitment and retention;

Data-based decision-making;

Learning-conducive facilities and campuses.

While the budget will include items that maintain existing programs and services, these four imperatives receive primary consideration for new or redirected funding.

In previous articles, I have addressed the school system's management system the Model for Excellence and the balanced scorecard approach that we use to measure our progress.

The budget imperatives emerged from the balanced scorecard. Looking at the scorecard items, and at school and department strategic plans, the board identified the four imperatives as items having the greatest potential for immediate impact on student achievement, and areas where the school system had significant room for improvement.

This strategic approach helps us to be good stewards of taxpayers dollars. We focus on the most critical areas affecting student achievement, while encouraging greater efficiency.

The strategic approach also led to the Fulton County Board of Education being presented the coveted Magna Award by the American School Board Journal.

The award recognizes school districts across the country for outstanding programs that advance student learning. The judges honored Fulton for our Model for Excellence, including the board's strong support of strategic planning.

As always, the Board of Education welcomes your input. The board already has conducted two workshops and public hearings on the budget, and has two more workshops scheduled prior to the April 26 vote. The workshops are open to the public and are posted on the system Web site, www.fulton.k12.ga.us. Copies of the proposed FY 2002 budget also are available by calling 404-763-6760.

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