Our students are at the core of Atlanta TAD extension discussions

The last few months have brought significant shifts in the debate over whether to extend tax allocation districts. The Fulton County Commission, the other financing partner, voted no on a resolution in recent months. Last month, the city announced a major Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative to address communities previously left out of the TADs and raised up to $50 million in philanthropic support.

For Atlanta Public Schools, our decision whether or not to extend TADs carries a significant weight. At the core of the conversation is a shared reality that strong neighborhoods need strong schools.

Atlanta Public Schools has helped support that growth for more than 25 years. Since 1999, APS has contributed approximately $961 million in property tax revenue to nine Tax Allocation Districts across the city. That history matters because it demonstrates that APS is not standing on the sidelines of Atlanta’s development. We have been one of its most significant partners.

Let me be clear about where matters currently stand: The Atlanta Board of Education has not made a decision about whether APS should participate in these extensions — targeted through 2056. As board chair, I believe our responsibility is to ensure that this decision is made through the transparent, fact-based and community-informed process the board established, not through headlines or political pressure.

Jessica Johnson, board chair, speaks about academic gains seen within Atlanta Public Schools in Atlanta, Friday, Aug. 7, 2026. (Estela Muñoz/AJC)

Over the last few months, we’ve heard a lot from our APS community. Families are concerned about the future of APS, in the wake of school closings. Key stakeholders are questioning our ability to maintain a balanced budget and invest deeply in our innovative school models and accelerated literacy infrastructure. Communities that are positioned to join the NRI are asking APS to lean in.

The question before us is not whether economic development matters. It does. The question is whether extending APS’s participation for decades will produce clear, measurable benefits for students while protecting the district’s ability to fund excellent schools. That distinction is important.

APS must also weigh any TAD extension against the district’s own significant financial commitments. We have identified approximately $68 million in strategic investments to strengthen teacher compensation and workforce stability, accelerate literacy and early learning, expand counseling and individualized student supports, and grow Career, Technical and Agricultural Education opportunities. At the same time, APS is managing rising employee-benefit costs and increasingly limited revenue growth. These are not competing numbers on a spreadsheet; they are choices that directly affect the quality of education and support our students receive.

Our school members recognized the gravity of that responsibility. In June, we adopted a formal policy and established a nine-member Tax Allocation District Investment Review Committee, with one community representative appointed by each board member. The committee has been meeting to examine APS’ historical investment, existing agreements, the district’s financial outlook and the potential impact of the proposed extensions.

The board anticipates a TADIRC report in November detailing recommendations.

Following this report, we will schedule a town hall meeting to allow board members to publicly ask clarifying questions and hear directly from community members. The TADIRC will maintain quarterly meetings and annual reports beyond any votes made by the board to strengthen transparency and oversight.

The bottom line is that Atlanta’s children deserve both thriving neighborhoods and excellent public schools. It is our responsibility as a board to operate as a full body, committed to making the right decisions for our students, our families, and our staff.

The Atlanta Board of Education will continue listening, learning and examining the facts. As the board considers the future of APS participation in the city’s TADs, we will remain open to partnership, disciplined in our review and unwavering in our responsibility to place students at the center of every decision.