Fulton County Schools administrative staff said academic achievement and attendance are up while absenteeism and disciplinary problems are down during the school district’s State of the Schools address on Thursday.
Fulton County Schools (FCS) educators, administrators, school governing council members, school board members, state and local elected officials, and other county stakeholders came to the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center’s Studio Theatre for the presentation. Administrators and students shared achievements and what FCS’s core values of teamwork, integrity, and accountability mean to them.
The complete strategic plan for FCS has been posted online.
FCS Superintendent Mike Looney said that more than 87,000 students are enrolled in FCS schools this year, but that number will continue to decline next year.
More students are considering college, Looney said, which is shown by the increase in participation rates for the SAT and ACT.
“Discipline is down. Attendance is up. Chronic absenteeism is down. Reading scores are up, math scores are up, science scores are up,” Looney
That’s a direct result of the more than 10,000 staff members employed by the school district, Looney said.
Chief Academic Officer Brannon Gaskins said FCS had a record-high graduation rate last May, with 90.7 percent of students earning their diploma. He said FCS students also set a record with a 72.9 percent pass rate in national 2024 AP exam results across all exams taken in the spring. Double-digit gains in passage rates from 2023 in seven courses were realized.
Gaskins said FCS has seen a substantial increase in students completing career technical and agricultural education pathways. They gained the skills and certifications needed to enter high-demand careers upon graduation. FCS has a 99 percent graduation rate among these students.
Deputy Chief of Human Resources Eric Hollinhead outlined programs to hire and retain top-notch educators and staff. He said new hires get paired with mentors for a smoother transition into their roles. The Level Up professional development program provides continuous learning opportunities for staff.
FCS takes care of the social and emotional safety of its students as they see a significant increase in mental-health-related crises, including self-harm and suicidal thoughts, Mercedez Jackson, the FCS coordinator of social work, said. The support system starts with basic socialization skills. It moves to small group sessions on coping skills, conflict resolution, and peer-to-peer mediation. By partnering with local mental health agencies, FCS ensures licensed therapists are available on-site at every school, she said.
Looney detailed the school district’s $44 million invested in school safety. They use technology to monitor social media, read license plates, and scan IDs to keep people off campus who may have warrants or are sex offenders, Individuals must show IDs before being buzzed into school buildings. Safety alert buttons in classrooms and alert badges worn by all staff enable them to instantly call for help.
FCS has almost 90 police officers, Looney said.
He asked community members to become strategic stakeholders by volunteering at local schools, such as shelving books for a few hours in a media center, helping students being dropped off and picked up by parents, or sharing their expert knowledge in the classroom as guest speakers.
