Fulton School Board passes 2012 budget

The Fulton County School Board gave final approval Tuesday night to a 2012 budget that avoids furloughs and a property tax increase.

The final general fund budget, $819.5 million, is effective for the fiscal year that starts July 1. A last-minute change puts $1.2 million back into the general fund for instruction, due to the Georgia Supreme Court ruling regarding the funding of the state Charter School Commission.

For the current budget, employees were furloughed three days, and property taxes were increased by 1 mill. There's no money for raises, though substitute teachers and bus drivers made an 11th-hour plea for some kind of salary increase. The budget depends on about $43.2 million in reserves.