It's budget

season in the Fulton County School System.

The county

Board of Education will adopt a tentative budget for fiscal year 2002,

determine the property tax rate and set salary schedules for employees

April 26.

As part of

the school system's strategic planning process, the board identified the

following four "strategic imperatives" to guide budget decision-making.

Mastery of

curriculum by low-performing students and schools;

Teacher recruitment

and retention;

Data-based

decision-making;

Learning-conducive

facilities and campuses.

While the budget

will include items that maintain existing programs and services, these

four imperatives receive primary consideration for new or redirected funding.

In previous

articles, I have addressed the school system's management system the Model

for Excellence and the balanced scorecard approach that we use to measure

our progress.

The budget

imperatives emerged from the balanced scorecard. Looking at the scorecard

items, and at school and department strategic plans, the board identified

the four imperatives as items having the greatest potential for immediate

impact on student achievement, and areas where the school system had significant

room for improvement.

This strategic

approach helps us to be good stewards of taxpayers dollars. We focus on

the most critical areas affecting student achievement, while encouraging

greater efficiency.

The strategic

approach also led to the Fulton County Board of Education being presented

the coveted Magna Award by the American School Board Journal.

The award recognizes

school districts across the country for outstanding programs that advance

student learning. The judges honored Fulton for our Model for Excellence,

including the board's strong support of strategic planning.

As always,

the Board of Education welcomes your input. The board already has conducted

two workshops and public hearings on the budget, and has two more workshops

scheduled prior to the April 26 vote. The workshops are open to the public

and are posted on the system Web site, www.fulton.k12.ga.us . Copies

of the proposed FY 2002 budget also are available by calling 404-763-6760.