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New school year budget approved

On Monday, the Fulton County Board of Education approved a $637 million budget for 2004-2005 that provides a full millage rollback for taxpayers while still providing for instructional enhancements, salary step increases for employees, improvements to the pension plan, and funds for increased student growth.

The general fund budget places $31.6 million additional dollars in local school cost centers, a 7.6 percent increase for local schools, while reducing the central ofÞce department budgets by $6 million, or 4.7 percent. The budget also allocates approximately $15 million in local funds to offset continuing reductions in state funding for public education. The total state austerity reductions to Fulton County schools since Þscal year 2003 now total $34 million.

During the budget development process, board members expressed their commitment to a no tax increase budget. While the Þnal millage rates will not be adopted until June 21, the board intends to roll back the millage to an amount that offsets increases in property reassessments. The net result of the millage reduction will be no school tax increase. This will be the Þfth consecutive year that the Fulton County Board of Education has given a full or partial millage rollback.

“The board was very clear in its expectations that we have a full millage rollback,” said Superintendent Michael Vanairsdale. “The job of the administration was to present a budget that meets the needs of our students and also honors the boards commitment to their citizens, who are the real owners of the school system.”

In developing the budget, the Board asked for programs and ideas that beneÞt students and improve academic achievement. Among the instructional items approved:

•Expansion of elementary foreign language programs and programs for talented and gifted students.

•Maintaining the current class sizes and school support stafÞng guidelines.

•Providing additional support to the Early Intervention Program,

•Enhancements to the ESOL (English to Speakers of Other Languages) program.

•Implementation of additional e-learning opportunities.

•Improvements to programs that serve special needs students.

•Expansion of the successful CheckPoints program begun in 2004.

•Redesign of summer and night school programs.

Revenues from local, state, and federal sources are expected to generate $621 million for Fulton schools. The board will use $16.2 million currently held in reserve to make up the difference between projected expenditures and revenues.

“We are fortunate to have a very healthy reserve fund balance,” said Vanairsdale. “The FY 05 budget allows us to maintain a high level of reserves that falls within recommended accounting practices. Even though we are using some of our reserves next year, our reserve balances will remain above those of other metro systems.”

In FY 2004, Fulton County employees received raises, but no experience step increases. The board agreed to a recovery step, effective at the beginning of the contract year for employees who would have been eligible for a step in 2003-2004 had it been awarded. This will correct inequities that had existed in the systems current salary schedules. In addition, all eligible employees will receive a step increase effective January 1, 2005.

Salary schedules for Fulton teachers are the highest in the metropolitan area and among the highest in the Southeast. The step increases should continue to give the system a competitive edge in not only recruiting, but also retaining quality instructional staff.

A $3.3 million enhancement in the Fulton School Employees Pension Fund will beneÞt those who retired from Fulton County Schools prior to 1988 (the year Fulton transferred to the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia) and also will beneÞt current support staff employees who are not under the TRS plan.

The majority of new funds are tied to students and enrollment growth. As an example, transportation will receive funding for nine additional bus drivers to serve new routes as the result of opening Þve new schools in August 2004. Approximately $2.4 million also is budgeted for increased water, sewer, electricity and natural gas costs attributed to the 1.15 million additional square feet in new schools and the increases in energy costs.

The Board will hold a called meeting on Monday at 7 p.m. at Dunwoody Springs Elementary School, 8100 Roberts Drive, to set the FY 2005 millage rates. The current total millage is at 18.056. With the millage rollback, this Þgure will be lowered.