The biggest news in Fulton

County Schools last year was something that will have an impact for many

years.

In March, Fulton County voters

gave a resounding yes to extending a one percent sales tax to help fund

capital projects for the school system.

Voters approved the extension

The results were a big win

for the Fulton County School System, who plan to use the estimated $670

million over the next five years to renovate existing schools and build

new ones.

The school system has identified

several projects that will be funded by the tax, including:

Three new elementary schools.

Four new middle schools.

Three new high schools.

Major additions at two elementary

schools and one high school.

Additional classroom capacity

for 1,000 students.

Renovations at existing schools.

Debt reduction.

The school system estimates

more than 12,000 new students will stream into the county during the next

five years.

Later in the year, Fulton County

parents learned their students scored their highest SAT scores ever last

spring. The scores showed a six-point overall gain over 2001, marking

the eighth consecutive year that Fulton's scores have increased.

Fulton students scored a combined

verbal and mathematics score of 1039, with the mathematics score rising

six points to 528 and the verbal score of 511 remaining the same.

Creekside High School, with

a 38-point increase, reported the highest score increase among south Fulton

schools.

Creekside's scores were 431

for the verbal portion and 444 on math for a composite 875.