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Fulton County School Districs
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Founded in 1871, the Fulton County School System is one of the oldest and largest school districts in Georgia. With a focus on student achievement and a commitment to continual improvement, Fulton has earned a reputation as a premier school system. This long history of excellence is evidenced by the many state and national honors bestowed on Fulton's schools, staff and students.
The Fulton County School System is one of the most unique school systems in the nation. Though not Georgia's largest school system in terms of student enrollment, it is, however, the largest system in geographic area. From its southern end in Fairburn to its northernmost tip in Johns Creek, the county is more than 70 miles long. What is known as present-day Fulton County was formed by the 1932 consolidation of the former Campbell and Milton counties, making Fulton the size of three counties.
To add to Fulton's uniqueness, the City of Atlanta has long had its own school system and its own Board of Education. These lay in the center of pre-consolidation Fulton County. During the consolidation, the schools within the former Campbell and Milton counties became part of the Fulton County School System. But the City of Atlanta maintained its separate school system, driving a physical wedge between the newly joined counties. The result is that the Fulton County School System is physically bisected by the City of Atlanta and its school system.
The southern part of Fulton County is comprised of the cities of College Park, East Point, Fairburn, Hapeville, Palmetto and Union City. The northern part is home to the cities of Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton, Mountain Park, Roswell and Sandy Springs.
As the fourth largest school system in Georgia, Fulton has more than 12,000 full-time employees, including more than 7,500 teachers and other certified personnel, who work in 94 schools and 15 administrative and support buildings. During the 2008-09 school year, more than 88,000 students will attend classes in 55 elementary schools, 19 middle schools, 13 high schools, two open campus high schools and five charter schools.
As the Atlanta metropolitan area has grown, so has the Fulton County School System. Families are attracted to Fulton County because of its consistent and well-deserved reputation as a quality school system. Businesses also establish a foothold in Fulton because employees want to live and work in communities with excellent schools. Using SPLOST revenue (a special one-penny tax that funds school construction and other projects), the Fulton County School System has built 29 new schools since 1996 and its current construction plan calls for 14 additional new schools and 11 school additions. SPLOST goes beyond bricks and mortar by funding critical items such as furniture and equipment, technology upgrades and school bus replacements, as well as lowering property taxes through debt relief.
Involved, active and informed parents and community members contribute greatly to the success of the system. All schools have business partners and local school advisory councils, and the Fulton Education Foundation provides additional resources.
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