A $2.46 billion budget will mark the new fiscal year for Fulton County Schools as the district closes three schools and opens a new one.
The Fulton County Schools (FCS) Board of Education approved its Fiscal Year 2026 budget during its June 12 work session. It includes a $1.467 billion general fund budget to support the school district’s day-to-day operations.
Spalding Drive in Sandy Springs, Conley Hills, and Park Lane Elementary Schools have closed. Briar Hills Elementary School will open for the next school year.
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Other budget highlights include:
- 2.5 percent raise for eligible employees,
- Step amount of $31.9 million as teacher pay increases with years of experience,
- $31.4 million employer health insurance cost increase,
- $15 million increase in teacher retirement services costs.
“Our enrollment has declined by over 4,000 students, and our cost per pupil over the last five years has increased by 42.4 percent, that’s five years, year over year,” board member Kristin McCabe said.
Declining enrollment cuts revenue from the state. The state’s Quality Basic Education funding model requires more affluent school districts to give back a local fair share that has FCS sending 48 percent of state funding back to the state.
Superintendent Mike Looney directed district staff to cut five percent from their operational budgets before they started working on the Fiscal Year 2026 budget. Plans are based on five-year projections.
“I want to be clear tonight. We are working on a strategy to address the financial challenges and headwinds before us over the next several years,” Looney said.
The school district will continue looking for ways to save money, but the only way to cut meaningful amounts of money in a people-centric business is by cutting people. That reduces services for students, increases class sizes, and cuts the number of programs available for students.