The Fulton

County School Board is winding down budget talks this week.

School system

business services director Harold Grindle said this year's budget is $583

million, but preliminary revenue estimates for this year are $576 million.

With the discrepancy, the board will have to use nearly $6.5 million of

its $37 million reserve to cover the programs it wants for next year.

Grindle said

a the board is looking at rolling back the millage rate by a quarter of

a mill from last year's 19.02 mills.

But state funding

and sales tax funding are less this year, so officials are trying to juggle

needs with revenue expectations.

The board has

tentatively agreed to a 1.5 percent raise for all the teachers in the

system.

"The state's

recommendation was 3.25 percent raise for teachers, but that doesn't cover

all teachers. Ours does."

The non-teaching

personnel will receive a 0.5 percent raise this year, he added.

The School

Board is also looking at providing up to $800,000 for at-risk schools

that could receive failing grades and allocating $500,000 for expanding

foreign language programs in elementary school.

The system

also agreed to decrease class size under Gov. Barnes' education reform

plan.

The system

will have a public meeting on the budget at the administrative complex

on Cleveland Avenue at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

After the hearing,

the School Board will hold a called meeting at 7 p.m. to set the tentative

budget and millage rate.

Final approval

is expected at the June 13 meeting.