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Title
Box 6, Folder 2, Document 16
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( aah MINUTES
LOCAL EDUCATION COMMISSION
December 21, 1965
The Local Education Study Commission met in the 3oard Room of the
Fulton County Administration Building at 2:00 P.M. on Tuesday, December
21, 1965, with the following in attendance:
Mr. Kenneth Stringer Dr. Rufus Clement
Dr. James L. Miller Mr. Earl Landers
Dr. John Letson . Dr. Paul West
Mr. Tom Miller Mr. P. L. Bardin
Mrs. Alan Ritter Mr. Alan Kiepper, (Proxy)
Mr. Bardin called the meeting to order and asked for approval of the
minutes of the August 23, 1965, meeting. The minutes were unanimously
approved.
He then gave a brief review of the work of the Commission since the
last regular meeting and pointed out that a meeting was held with members
of the Atlanta and Fulton County Boards of Education on September 21, 1965,
and with the Representatives and Senators from Fulton and DeKalb Counties
on September 27, 1965. The Legislative Delegation later developed a re-
solution outlining additional information which should be included in the
report of the Commission.
Dr. Pierce then presented the addition to the report.
Comments and suggestions offered during the presentation included
the following:
Assessed evaluation of property in Atlanta is approximately 70%
of the 1956 reappraisal which in reality is about 30% of the
current market value for the city and 20% for the county.
Judge Wood's decision does not include independent school districts.
Homestead exemptions will not be affected.
The cost for putting Fulton County teachers on the same salary
schedule as the Atlanta teachers should be included in the report.
"New board members will be elected as vacancies occur" should be
changed to "new board members will be elected as terms expire".
The report should show that Fulton County's bonding capacity is
10% of the digest and Atlanta's bonding capacity is 4% of the
digest.
Since board members in Atlanta have been elected for four-year
terms beginning January 1, 1966, would any legal difficulty be
encountered by calling for a new election of board members in 1968?
If so, could this be resolved by having current members of both
boards compose the new board until terms expire and then elect
only seven new members to the new board?
Wealth behind each child in Fulton County and Atlanta may change
if portions of the county are annexed into the city.
It should be stated that support to schools as stated in the report
is predicated upon no changes in present tax structure.
The report should include a statement efhow the seven districts :.
from which the board members will be elected are to be determined
and how they will be readjusted as population changes. Since we now
have seven senatorial districts it might be desirable to use them
as the starting basis for the seven districts from which school board
members will be elected. These districts will be amended as
necessary so that areas within the city but which lie in DeKalb
County will be included and so that other portions of DeKatb County
will be excluded.
Fiscal independence for the school board should refer only to the
property tax and not include the ability to set sales tax rate and
other similar taxes.
The combined budget for both school systems should be projected.
The Commission accepted the report as presented with the suggested
changes presented above. The lawyers were instructed to draw up the
necessary proposed constitutional amendment for combining the two systems.
A copy of the amendment is to be sent to each member of the Commission
for study before the next meeting of the Commission. Copies sent to
Commission Members are to be clearly marked Rough Draft and Confidential.
The Conmission will meet again to review the proposed constitutional
amendment as soon as possible.
The meeting was adjourned at 3:55 P.M.
LOCAL EDUCATION COMMISSION
December 21, 1965
The Local Education Study Commission met in the 3oard Room of the
Fulton County Administration Building at 2:00 P.M. on Tuesday, December
21, 1965, with the following in attendance:
Mr. Kenneth Stringer Dr. Rufus Clement
Dr. James L. Miller Mr. Earl Landers
Dr. John Letson . Dr. Paul West
Mr. Tom Miller Mr. P. L. Bardin
Mrs. Alan Ritter Mr. Alan Kiepper, (Proxy)
Mr. Bardin called the meeting to order and asked for approval of the
minutes of the August 23, 1965, meeting. The minutes were unanimously
approved.
He then gave a brief review of the work of the Commission since the
last regular meeting and pointed out that a meeting was held with members
of the Atlanta and Fulton County Boards of Education on September 21, 1965,
and with the Representatives and Senators from Fulton and DeKalb Counties
on September 27, 1965. The Legislative Delegation later developed a re-
solution outlining additional information which should be included in the
report of the Commission.
Dr. Pierce then presented the addition to the report.
Comments and suggestions offered during the presentation included
the following:
Assessed evaluation of property in Atlanta is approximately 70%
of the 1956 reappraisal which in reality is about 30% of the
current market value for the city and 20% for the county.
Judge Wood's decision does not include independent school districts.
Homestead exemptions will not be affected.
The cost for putting Fulton County teachers on the same salary
schedule as the Atlanta teachers should be included in the report.
"New board members will be elected as vacancies occur" should be
changed to "new board members will be elected as terms expire".
The report should show that Fulton County's bonding capacity is
10% of the digest and Atlanta's bonding capacity is 4% of the
digest.
Since board members in Atlanta have been elected for four-year
terms beginning January 1, 1966, would any legal difficulty be
encountered by calling for a new election of board members in 1968?
If so, could this be resolved by having current members of both
boards compose the new board until terms expire and then elect
only seven new members to the new board?
Wealth behind each child in Fulton County and Atlanta may change
if portions of the county are annexed into the city.
It should be stated that support to schools as stated in the report
is predicated upon no changes in present tax structure.
The report should include a statement efhow the seven districts :.
from which the board members will be elected are to be determined
and how they will be readjusted as population changes. Since we now
have seven senatorial districts it might be desirable to use them
as the starting basis for the seven districts from which school board
members will be elected. These districts will be amended as
necessary so that areas within the city but which lie in DeKalb
County will be included and so that other portions of DeKatb County
will be excluded.
Fiscal independence for the school board should refer only to the
property tax and not include the ability to set sales tax rate and
other similar taxes.
The combined budget for both school systems should be projected.
The Commission accepted the report as presented with the suggested
changes presented above. The lawyers were instructed to draw up the
necessary proposed constitutional amendment for combining the two systems.
A copy of the amendment is to be sent to each member of the Commission
for study before the next meeting of the Commission. Copies sent to
Commission Members are to be clearly marked Rough Draft and Confidential.
The Conmission will meet again to review the proposed constitutional
amendment as soon as possible.
The meeting was adjourned at 3:55 P.M.
Comments