• Welcome Back To School

  • Welcome back for the 2021-2022 school year!

    The 2021-22 school year starts on Monday, August 9, for thousands of children in Fulton County.

     

    The Fulton County School System (FCS) continues to be the fourth largest school district in Georgia with a projected 2021-22 enrollment of approximately 90,400 students. The system includes 108 schools – 59 elementary schools, 19 middle schools, 21 high schools, 10 start-up charter schools, and one full-time virtual school.

    After more than a year of pandemic-related disruptions and remote learning, FCS is excited about returning to the classroom. Here are the Top 10 new items parents, students and our community should know as we start the new school year. More information about additional updates can be found on our FCS News Website.

Our Top 10 List of New Things

More Details About Our Top 10 List

  • 1) COVID-19 and School Operations
    In order to facilitate the safest learning environment possible, COVID-19 health guidelines will continue to be followed, with face coverings recommended for students and staff. Masks are required by the federal government on all public transportation, which includes school buses. Schools located in municipalities where the rate of infection exceeds 100 per 100,000 residents will require all students, personnel, and visitors to wear masks until such time as the level of spread drops. Data will be taken from the FCBOH Epidemiology Reports and will be reported on our FCS Coronavirus Update page. Any FCS school or facility located within a jurisdiction where the state, county or municipality requires a mask be worn in public spaces will honor such orders until such time as it has expired. Download a one-page summary of these protocols in PDF format (updated Aug. 10).

    Read more about this topic in our "JUST THE FACTS" article

     

     

    2) Building the Bridge to Success
    Fulton County Schools is focused on connecting COVID-19 re-entry to our future. The district received more than $168 million dollars of federal funding in the American Rescue Plan (ARP) to help schools recover from COVID-19. Combined with the CARES I, CARES II and smaller related CARES grants, FCS will implement a multi-year program to address the impact of the pandemic on lost instruction and learning, and centers on ensuring the safety of students, staff, and families. The program encompasses the district’s FOCUS plan, a collaborative initiative founded on existing effective practices for academic recovery. FOCUS addresses the universal needs of all students while driving targeted resources and strategies to the students with the greatest necessities. A major plank of this effort is its literacy initiative, which specifically addresses and transforms the district’s approach to literacy instruction. As part of the initiative, FCS will add K-2 literacy coaches in each elementary school. FCS will also implement High Dosage Small Group Tutoring, which consists of having a single tutor with a student over a school year in math or reading. High dosage tutoring can double the amount of learning students typically gain during the year. New Curriculum Mapping will provide teachers with the information they need to fill in any learning gaps for students whose learning may have been impacted by the pandemic. The plan also leverages opportunities for enhanced assessment while minimizing testing burden on students and provides leaders, teachers, and families with resources and training so they can understand and use their students’ data for instruction and support.

    Read more about this topic in our "JUST THE FACTS" article

     

     

    3) Three new schools are opening in August 2021
    Fulton County Schools' Global Impact Academy (GIA) and Innovation Academy (IA), and Fulton Academy of Virtual Excellence (FAVE). GIA and IA are STEM-focused high schools offering instruction in engineering, health science, and information technology. FAVE is Fulton County Schools’ first-ever virtual school and will serve students in grades 3-11 in a 100% online environment. The instruction will be a blend of live, online lessons (synchronous) and self-directed lessons (asynchronous) from Fulton County teachers. In addition, a replacement building is opening for Crabapple Middle School.

     

     

    4) Attendance Policy
    FCS has implemented a new attendance notification process. Parents/guardians will be notified more often on absences, regardless of whether a student is excused or unexcused. Families will be notified of student absences via daily robocalls. Students who accumulate multiple absences will receive letters to notify them of missed learning time, and staff will follow up with supportive interventions. Parents/guardians can monitor their child’s attendance using Infinite Campus. More detailed information about our attendance policy can be found here.

    Read more about this topic in our "JUST THE FACTS" article

     

     

    5) Late Start Days
    On these days, classes start one hour later than usual for students so that faculty and staff can participate in Professional Learning opportunities and work together to improve teaching skills and the academic performance of students. Buses continue to operate on the regular schedule during late start dates; however, parents also can choose to transport their child to school by the scheduled later start time. Students who arrive early will participate in supervised activities until the school day begins.

     

     

    6) ‘Start with Hello’ Campaign
    FCS remains focused on identifying the needs of students and then developing resources that raise awareness, educate and provide intervention where needed. This year, the district will implement ‘Start with Hello,’ a program that promotes connectedness. With the pandemic creating isolation due to disrupted social interaction, FCS seeks to help students reacclimate with their peers through student success skills. Clubs and other relationship-building activities also are encouraged. Additionally, the FCS Office of Student Discipline will work with the FCS Police Department on a ‘Stop the Violence Campaign.’

    Read more about this topic in our "JUST THE FACTS" article

     

     

    7) Bill of Rights
    The Fulton County Board of Education is committed to its stakeholders and strongly believes that their voice matters. Students, teachers, and parents across the district created a student, teacher and parent/guardian Bill of Rights. These documents are intended to support an environment of reciprocal accountability, and outline tenets for each of the groups.

     

     

    8) Breakfast/Lunch Fees
    As we continue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, it remains critical our students receive safe, healthy, and nutritious food. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has waived fees so all students will continue to receive meals at no charge for the 2021-22 school year, allowing school nutrition professionals to focus on nourishing children for success.

     

     

    9) Here Comes the Bus
    As a reminder, parents and students are encouraged to sign-up for our ‘Here Comes the Bus’ app. The free service allows students and parents track their bus to determine when it is scheduled to arrive at their bus stop. Alerts notify parents when the bus is just a few blocks away, offering safety for students and peace of mind for parents.

     

     

    10) FCS News Website
    All the latest FCS news headlines and feature stories have been consolidated into one easy-to-navigate website. Be sure to bookmark this site and visit regularly to find: Daily Updates, Academic News, Sports News, Music & Arts News, School Board News and more.

Here's the Basic Info

FCS "Facts at a Glance" for 2021-22

Even More Changes for 2021-22

  • Personnel

    Additional Teachers and New School Leaders. By the summer’s end, Fulton County Schools will have welcomed more than 650 new teachers for 2021-22. This will bring the district’s total teaching force to approximately 7,000. Retirements and promotions also have led to changes in school leadership: 

     

    New School Principals
    Nikkole Flowers    , Manning Oaks Elementary School
    Stephanie Haga, Wilson Creek Elementary School
    Nikki Porter, Stonewall Tell Elementary School
    Shavanda Toomer, Woodland Elementary School
    Lakasha Lee, Ison Springs Elementary School
    Octavius Harris, Langston Hughes High School
    Jill Meeker, E. C. West Elementary School
    Cathy Crawford, Alpharetta Elementary School
    Marcus Vu, Fulton Academy of Virtual Excellence
    Jennifer Rosenthal, Spalding Drive Elementary School
    Kathleen Stamper, Liberty Point Elementary School
    Arthur Davis, Campbell Elementary School

     

    New District Leaders*
    Jennifer Burton    , Director of Literacy
    Heather Van Looy, Director, Instructional Technology
    Titus Brown, Director, JROTC
    *Director level and above.

     

    Academics

    New 3DE Magnet Program. Tri-Cities High School becomes the third FCS high school to offer the 3DE program. The program is starting off the year with more than 170 students.

    CTAE Expansion. FCS is in the introductory phase of planning expanded CTAE (Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education) elementary programs by identifying and writing curriculum, standards, lessons and projects for focus areas. The district is adding new courses to the sixth grade CTAE curriculum: Culinary Arts and Agriculture. Middle schools will be able to customize the CTAE Engage course experience so that it aligns with the pathways offered at their respective high school.

    Curriculum Hub. A Curriculum Hub has been created to provide parents with easy access to English/Language Arts/Reading, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies resources. The hub can be accessed here.

    Frog Street. Beginning this year, Frog Street will be introduced at the elementary school level in each of the FCS Pre-Kindergarten classes. Frog Street is a comprehensive, research-based program that integrates instruction across developmental domains and early learning disciplines. It was recently approved by Bright from the Start and is aligned with the Georgia Early Learning and Development Standards (GELDS).

    NWEA MAP. FCS will use the Northwest Evaluation Association Measures of Academic Progress (NWEA MAP) as a nationally norm-referenced assessment for grades 2, 4, and 7. The MAP assessment will be administered in October, with NWEA MAP Growth used as the universal screener for students in Grades 9-12. MAP will be used to benchmark student achievement against the nation and used for gifted eligibility in the area of achievement.

     

    Technology

    During remote learning, FCS expanded the number of one-to-one devices issued to students.  The district will continue this and will issue devices to all students grades 3-12 and provide classroom access for all PK-2nd grade classrooms.  As we come back into the school year, students will retain the devices issued last year and check in with their school or new FCS school if they advanced to a new grade level or have moved within the district.

     

    Safety & Security

    Community Policing Division. The FCS Police Department launched its Community Policing Division in April to strengthen community outreach and provide student mentorship. As part of this new effort, a Police Athletic League (PAL) and a ‘Cookies and Cops’ program will help foster positive relationships between elementary school students and officers. Additionally, a gang intelligence unit is being developed to combat this issue in the community.

    Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS). Late last school year, the FCS Police Department began using Small-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (drones) in large event surveillance, training operations, and critical incident intervention and response. Approximately 20 FCS police officers are becoming certified in using the drone aircrafts.

    Digital Video Surveillance Systems. Progress towards upgrading the video camera system for our schools continues. Last school year, 14 schools had cameras and video servers updated to Avigilon’s digital video surveillance system. Another group of 14 schools will have new cameras installed and updated this year.

    Asthma Friendly Schools. Due to the efforts of the FCS Office of Health Services, Fulton County Schools is now one of only nine Georgia school districts to be certified as an Asthma Friendly school district. To be recognized, FCS had to adopt and implement policies and procedures related to asthma management, which provides a safe and healthy environment for students with asthma-related illnesses. In addition, the district has been awarded a $50,000 Asthma Initiative grant from Healthcare Georgia Foundation, Inc. The one-year grant will allow the FCS Health Services team to enhance school-based education and care coordination of students with asthma.

    School-Based Health Centers Re-opening. The school-based health centers at Lake Forest Elementary School and College Park Elementary School will re-open. The centers had closed temporarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which limited visitors in schools.

     

    Bus Transportation

    Bus Fleet Ready to Roll. The Transportation department is prepared to have 704 route buses rolling to serve the students of Fulton County on the first day of school. Thirty-two new drivers were hired to meet the staffing targets set for the new year, ensuring that every FCS bus has an assigned driver.

    New Propane-Powered Buses with Seat Belts. Of the entire fleet, 521 buses are propane-powered with 3-point seat belts. This is part of the district’s commitment to replace aging diesel vehicles with buses that are safer for students, more cost effective to operate, and friendlier to the environment.

     

    School Nutrition

    School Kitchens Heating Up. The School Nutrition Program will have all 97 commercial kitchens operating on the first day of school so that students can receive breakfast, lunch, and snacks. Approximately 71,000 meals will be served every day this school year.