The Fulton County Board of Education met for their monthly work session at 2 p.m. on Aug. 10, 2023.

• Board President and District 6 Board Member Kimberly Dove opens the meeting for the mileage hearing and public comment.

• Chief Financial Officer Marvin Dereef presents mileage number three. The board is looking at a tax surplus of 19.5 million. The board is excepting a decrease in enrollment over the next few years. The board has more funds set aside to help taxpayers. The board has a surplus in the budget.

• District 5 Board Member Kristin McCabe asks for the extra money in the budget to be given back to the community.

• District 2 Board Member Lillie Pozatek reviews what the budget did for the county over the past year. She agrees with McCabe’s plan and hopes the other board members will agree.

• District 4 Board Member Franchesca Warren is concerned about rolling the mileage down so far because of the facilities coming up.

• District 3 Board Member Katie Gregory supports giving two miles back to the community.

• Board Vice President District 1 Board Member Katha Stuart shows her concern for the unknown regarding lowering the mileage. They will have to pay for literacy coaches, employee benefits cost, and many other unknowns to worry about.

• The board does not pass to amend the mileage rate to 17.04 mils from 17.14 mils. 

• Dereef gives a presentation on the how the board has met all the requirements to meet the milage rate. 

• Pozatek expresses her happiness to roll back the milage. 

• Gregory is grateful for the board to be in the place to roll back the milage and give back to the tax payers. 

• Warren says the board has gotten to the point where they have agreed to disagree.

• McCabe acknowledges that the board could have given back more to the taxpayers. However, the money not given back is put towards the needs of the county and is not put away for savings.

• Dove points out that there is no bond debt. 

• Dove’s motion passes unanimously. 

• The meeting is adjourned.