Fulton County homeowners will pay the same school property tax rate for the seventh straight year, though many will still see higher bills due to increased property values.
💰 What It Means For You: Your school tax rate stays at 17.08 mills, but your total bill may rise if your property was reassessed at a higher value. The school system is legally required to advertise this as a “tax increase” even though the rate remains unchanged.
What is the Millage Rate?: The millage rate is your property tax rate. Your city, county, and school system all set a millage rate. That combined number becomes your overall property tax rate. One mill represents $1 of tax on every $1,000 of taxable property.
🏫 What’s Happening: The Fulton County Board of Education plans to maintain its current property tax rate rather than adopting the lower “rollback rate” that would keep tax collections the same despite rising property values.
🔍 Between the Lines: Georgia law requires the district to hold three public hearings and advertise a “tax increase” when keeping the same rate after property reassessments. The 2.88% “increase” refers to additional revenue from higher property values, not a higher tax rate.
💼 The Big Picture: Fulton School officials say the school district maintains one of metro Atlanta’s lowest school tax rates while carrying zero long-term debt – an unusual achievement for a large district. The system funds building projects through sales tax revenue instead of borrowing.
🗣️ Have Your Say: Public hearings will be held August 12 at 11:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. in Sandy Springs, and August 19 at 6 p.m. in Union City.
The Sources: Fulton County Board of Education.
How to Read and Understand the News
Truth doesn’t bend because we dislike it.
Facts don’t vanish when they make us uncomfortable.
Events happen whether we accept them or not.
Good reporting challenges us. The press isn’t choosing sides — it’s relaying what official, verified sources say. Blaming reporters for bad news is like blaming a thermometer for a fever.
Americans have a history of misunderstanding simple things. In the 1980s, A&W rolled out a 1/3-pound burger to compete with McDonald’s Quarter Pounder. It failed because too many people thought 1/3 was smaller than 1/4. If we can botch basic math, we can certainly misread the news.
Before dismissing a story, ask yourself:
- What evidence backs this?
- Am I reacting to facts or feelings?
- What would change my mind?
- Am I just shooting the messenger?
And one more: Am I assuming bias just because I don’t like the story?
Smart news consumers seek truth, not comfort.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
