A recent article reported that our excellent Fayette County Public Schools have the “fewest students in 16 years.”
Given the headline, one would reasonably expect to find a decaying system of half-full schools. However, data from the most recent audited financial statements of the Fayette County Board of Education indicates that the enrollment peaked slightly above 22,000 students in 2006, and is down to slightly below 20,000 students in 2016, which was nearly the same in 2000, the beginning of the author’s 16-year window.
Over the 10-year period of 2007-2016, our school board reduced system capacity by more than 1,000 students by closing a net of three schools. In addition, our schools have reduced almost 600 employees or 18 percent of the workforce from 2008 to this past year.
These reductions, together with the excellent results of our students, reflect a well-managed, cost-conscious strategic plan that produces results. Regardless of the ebb and flow of annual enrollment, we have maintained a school system that is consistently among the top in Georgia by any measure during the entire period.
In the year 2000, our schools educated a student within approximately $200 or 1 percent of the average for a student across Georgia. In 2016, we are again within approximately $200 or 1 percent of the state average for the cost to educate a student in public school.
As we evaluate our school finances, excellent results that outperform nearly every school system in the state at about the same cost is a win for the students, parents, and the community as a whole, given that quality public education is the bedrock foundation of a successful and thriving community.
Neil Sullivan
Peachtree City, Ga.
