Alpharetta and Milton homeowners face higher school tax bills after the Fulton County Board of Education announced its plan to raise the property tax millage rate to 18.080.
The proposed rate is a 1-mill increase over the current 17.08, which the district has held for two years. It marks the first time in seven years that Fulton County Schools has sought a millage rate hike, WSB-TV first reported Thursday, Oct. 1.
Under Georgia law, because the proposed rate exceeds the rollback rate, which is the rate that would generate the same revenue as the prior year, three public hearings are required before a final vote.
The first two hearings are scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 13, at noon and 6 p.m. at the North Learning Center, 450 Northridge Parkway, Sandy Springs, according to WSB-TV. The district's online calendar lists the Oct. 13 session starting at 12 p.m. A third hearing is set for Thursday, Oct. 22, at 6 p.m. at the South Learning Center, 4025 Flat Shoals Road, Union City.
What it means for your tax bill
At 18.08 mills, a homeowner with a property valued at $450,000 on the market would owe $3,254 in school taxes before homestead exemptions, Appen Media reported in August. Georgia assesses property at 40% of fair market value, so that $450,000 home carries an assessed value of $180,000.
One mill equals $1 per $1,000 assessed.
The district has posted a tax calculator on its website at fultonschools.org so homeowners can estimate their individual impact.
Why the increase
Superintendent Mike Looney recommended the 18.08 rate at the board's Aug. 11 work session. The board adopted it as the tentative rate on Aug. 20, according to a district bulletin. Looney said the recommendation came after roughly $50 million in savings through a cost-cutting initiative called GLIDE, according to Rough Draft Atlanta's August reporting.
More than 60% of the school system's $2.3 billion budget depends on local property tax revenue. Voter-approved homestead exemptions for older residents are projected to reduce the district's revenue by approximately $50 million.
"If something changes in the interim … then I will gladly work with staff to reduce that increase to something less," Looney said at the Aug. 11 work session, as reported by Appen Media.
If approved, the additional revenue would allow the district to eliminate a proposed employee furlough day for the 2026-27 school year, according to a district bulletin. The district said the higher rate would also give it flexibility to consider future salary increases.
Fulton County Schools serves more than 83,000 students across the county, including students at Alpharetta High School, Milton High School and Cambridge High School.
The Oct. 13 hearings at the North Learning Center are the closest opportunity for Alpharetta and Milton residents to weigh in before the board takes a final vote.
