Fulton City School District unveils $94.2 million 2025–26 budget; voters to decide May 20

The Fulton City School District presented a proposed $94,197,840 budget for the 2025–26 school year at a public budget hearing, Superintendent Brian Pulpino said, with voters scheduled to decide the proposal on May 20, 2025.

The proposal, presented by Superintendent Brian Pulpino and Business Administrator Kate Hooper, would rely primarily on state aid (reported as 69.2% of projected revenues), a proposed 1.9% tax levy increase and $3,850,000 drawn from district reserves to close the gap between revenues and expenditures. Pulpino said the district reduced its initial rollover budget by $5.1 million and identified 59 position reductions, most resulting from retirements, resignations or dismissals.

Why this matters: The budget funds classroom instruction, student supports and school operations across the district and would directly affect local taxpayers, district staffing and extracurricular programs if approved. The board also placed three other propositions on the May 20 ballot — two vehicle purchases to replace aging vans, sale of a district-owned Erie Street property, and a separate library tax levy — that would affect capital and ancillary services if approved by voters.

Pulpino opened the hearing by describing the package and the district priorities driving it. “The purpose of this evening's meeting is to discuss the $94,200,000 budget for the 2025–26 year,” Pulpino said. He and Hooper said the proposal preserves student-facing programs and safety measures while responding to steep increases in the district’s operating costs.

Program priorities and services: District leaders said the budget maintains school safety staffing, including school resource officers in each building, and preserves behavioral, emotional and mental health supports, special education services, academic intervention and extracurricular offerings. Presenters emphasized course options at G. Ray Bodley High School, noting about 65 college-level courses available to students.

Revenue and reserves: Hooper described the revenue mix in the proposed spending plan: state aid of 69.2% of projected revenues, the proposed tax levy at 24.6% and “other” revenues (federal funds, leases, miscellaneous) at about 6.2%. The district plans to use $3,850,000 of district reserves to help cover the remaining gap. Hooper said the revenue estimates used current data and that final tax rates and equalization figures will not be available until later in the summer. “These are estimates,” she said, adding that the district used last year’s rates to provide household examples.

Tax impact examples provided at the hearing estimated annual increases of $34.58 for a home assessed at $100,000, $83.98 for $200,000 and $133.38 for $300,000; those were presented as estimates based on last year’s assessment information and not final tax rates. Hooper reiterated: “The tax rates for the upcoming year won't get to us until sometime over the summer.”

Cost pressures and reductions: Presenters identified several drivers behind the budget gap, including rapidly rising health-care costs — described in the presentation as a roughly 56% increase over a three-year period — and higher energy costs. The district said it reduced $5.1 million from its initial rollover budget through cuts to supplies, equipment, contractual services, BOCES services and benefit and salary adjustments; 59 positions were removed from the budget, and district leaders said most reductions were achieved through retirements, resignations or dismissals.

Contingency budget consequences: Pulpino and staff explained the statutory consequences if voters reject the budget and the district is forced to adopt a contingency budget. They said a contingency path would require further reductions that could significantly curtail extracurriculars, limit community use of facilities, reduce field trips and equipment purchases, and further cut supplies and contractual services. Pulpino said the district has detailed contingency reductions in a budget newsletter that will be mailed and posted online.

Ballot propositions and timeline: In addition to the main general fund appropriation, the district placed three additional propositions on the May 20 ballot: (1) authorization to purchase two replacement seven-passenger vans; (2) authorization for the board to sell district property at Erie Street; and (3) a separate library tax proposition of $544,131. The board will meet May 13 for a regular meeting, hold a final community forum May 15, the budget vote is May 20 (9 a.m.–9 p.m.), and the board will meet May 21 to ratify results and election outcomes.

Public information and next steps: The district said it held multiple forums, provided a budget FAQ on its website, established a dedicated budget email address for questions and will post the full presentation online. The presentation included a short video summarizing student impacts. Hooper said emailed questions are posted to the FAQ and are answered promptly.

The district emphasized that the proposal prioritizes student-facing services, but final effects — on staffing levels, programming and taxpayer bills — depend on voter approval and the final tax-rate calculations to be released later in the summer. Questions about voting locations and the ballot should be directed to the district budget email posted in the presentation.