Fulton County Schools' police force is now one of only four school district departments in Georgia to hold state law enforcement certification, a milestone Superintendent Dr. Mike Looney highlighted at the board's Thursday, July 30 called meeting, four days before classes begin Monday, August 3.

The Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police presented the credential to Chief of School Police Mark Sulborski's department at the district's kick-off staff meeting on Monday, July 13, according to the Sandy Springs Record. The voluntary certification required compliance with 141 standards covering use-of-force policy, body cameras, early warning systems, and bias-based profiling.

For Alpharetta and Milton families, the certification means officers patrolling Alpharetta High School, Milton High School, Northview High School, and Cambridge High School now operate under a framework audited against those standards. The department, created in 1989, employs more than 60 officers certified by the Georgia Peace Officers Standards and Training Council. Agencies holding the credential also qualify for a 20% discount on liability insurance premiums through the Georgia Interlocal Risk Management Agency.

$11,000 tuition program includes Northview

Chief Academic Officer Brannon Gaskins updated the board on the district's new Non-Resident Tuition Program, approved at the June 18 meeting and branded "Find Your Future at Fulton." Out-of-district Georgia students can now apply to four pilot schools: Fulton Academy of Virtual Excellence, Global Impact Academy, North Springs High School, and Northview High School.

Tuition is $11,000 per year. That breaks down to $5,500 per semester. Resident students remain the enrollment priority; non-resident seats are offered only where capacity allows. The rollout is phased: Phase One establishes admissions for out-of-district students, while Phase Two will integrate with the district's existing Change of School Assignment process.

'95% to Thrive' attendance push

Principal Tara Uremovich, newly approved as head of Heards Ferry Elementary School, presented the district's yearlong "95% to Thrive" attendance campaign at the same meeting. The initiative aims to reduce late enrollment, boost attendance during enrollment-count periods, and raise satisfactory attendance rates by three percentage points.

Students who maintain at least 95% attendance will receive quarterly recognition. A companion "5 to Thrive" effort encourages attendance during the first five days of school through schoolwide celebrations and incentives. Families will receive regular attendance updates and early intervention support if a student falls behind.

When the district launched its K9 officer program in February 2025, Sulborski said he was "looking forward to bringing a greater visibility of Fulton's safety program, the work we do, and keeping dangerous behavior at bay and the community safe." The state certification adds another layer to that effort as campuses reopen.

The first day of the 2026-27 school year is Monday, August 3. Families with safety questions can reach FCS Police at 470-254-0599 or the 24-hour line at 404-730-7911.