The Fulton County Board of Education met on May 12 for its regular meeting at the South Learning Center. The agenda included updates on cybersecurity, academic achievements, legislative actions, facilities planning, budget approvals, charter school petitions, employee calendars, new hires and promotions, recognitions of outstanding students and staff, and upcoming community meetings.
The meeting addressed several important topics for the district. Superintendent Dr. Mike Looney said that IT teams are closely monitoring activity related to a recent Canvas cyberattack and will keep stakeholders informed as more information becomes available. Chief Academic Officer Brannon Gaskins highlighted that Fulton County Schools received 58 awards across 39 schools from the Georgia Office of Student Achievement through the Single Statewide Accountability System. These honors include 18 Platinum Honors and recognition as the number one district in Georgia based on College and Career Ready Performance Index scores.
Chief Communications Officer Brian Noyes discussed outcomes from the 2026 Georgia General Assembly session with an emphasis on new literacy legislation aligned with existing instructional priorities. Chief Operations Officer Noel Maloof previewed a facilities master plan covering building conditions and long-term needs through Capital Plan 2032. The plan aims to renew existing facilities, replace or consolidate aging buildings, and upgrade athletic spaces; it will be presented for board action next month.
The Board adopted a tentative fiscal year 2027 budget following multiple workshops. The proposed general fund includes a projected year-end balance of about $224 million but may reach $268 million based on past spending trends—about 19% of the total budget. Final adoption depends on tax digest availability.
Other decisions included discontinuing Independence High School as an instructional facility starting in the next school year; approval of policy updates such as annual inventory audits; standardization of field trip procedures; clarification to student discipline regulations; rescinding outdated field trip rules; denial of charter petitions from Spalding Academy for Innovation and Learning (SAIL) and Greater Atlanta Preparatory School due to concerns over operational readiness, governance independence or alignment with legal requirements; approval of employee work calendars for 2026–27 with key dates outlined including start/end days and breaks.
New appointments were made for principal positions at Taylor Road Middle School (Nikol Boyd), Heritage Elementary School (Tracee Ragland), Autrey Mill Middle School (Brooke Scharfstein), Mimosa Elementary School (Amanda Stafford), along with Tim Brackett as Director of District Applications in Strategy & Technology Division. Students such as Minakshi Chilagani were recognized for achievements like winning first place in Cybersecurity Awareness Poster Contest while staff including Mr. Tarik Rowland received accolades at state-level events.
