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Rising home values expected to benefit local school district Latest estimates predict increase in tax revenues By CANDY WAYLOCK candy@appenmedia.com
AMBER PERRY/ APPEN MEDIA
Students approach the entrance to Cambridge High School during the first week of classes in Fulton County.
Students return to classrooms
By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com MILTON, Ga. –– Fulton County schools geared up Aug. 8 for what will be the first full relatively normal school year. Cambridge High School Principal Ashley Agans shared her excitement for the upcoming year, the first in two
years without mask mandates and no COVID-related regulation on school events. Masks were optional as of January this year, she said. The federal mask mandate for buses followed suit. Schools are still working with a hybrid system, but it’s optional. Students can take up to three virtual classes,
Agans said. Agans joined Cambridge near the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 and recalled getting a Teams call for her welcoming, rather than the typical inperson open house meeting. “It’s now finally feeling like it’s real,” she said.
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ATLANTA — The Fulton County School System is getting a hefty bump in their local tax revenue this year as escalating home values mean higher tax bills for homeowners. The district’s FY2023 budget, which began July 1, was initially approved last spring with an anticipated $735 million in revenue from property taxes. The final tally, based on figures from the Fulton County Tax Commissioner’s Office, is closer to $768 million, nearly $33 million more than projections. “An increase of home value assessments provided by the Fulton County Tax Assessor means a growth in revenue from previous projections,” said Brian Noyes, chief communications officer for the school district.
See HOME VALUES, Page 4