Forsyth County Schools

Our school district’s history started in 1873 when "old field schools," log buildings with dirt floors built in cleared fields, were consolidated into one public district. At that time, there were 1,456 total students, 114 Black or African American and 1,342 White. Today, FCS serves 55,300+ students and is the largest employer in the county with 8,000+ full/part-time employees and substitutes. To put these numbers into perspective, our student population is larger than Truist Park's capacity and our staff population is larger than The Fox Theatre's capacity.

 

In the past decade, student enrollment has grown by 40%. We have built 11 new schools/facilities and all existing schools prior to 2000 received additions/modifications within the past two decades. For 2024-25, we are home to 42 schools – 23 elementary, 11 middle, 8 high, and 1 Academy of Creative Education.

 

FCS is the 5^th largest out of 180 school districts in Georgia. We operate on a $585 million budget, with 73% of our expenses tied to instruction. The budget income is 54% from local funds and 46% from state and federal funds. The FY23 budget was built maintaining the same millage rate for the last eight years, which is the lowest in Metro Atlanta. FCS’ per-pupil expenditure is $9,800, which is the lowest among the 12 largest districts in the state. 14% of the student population is free and/or reduced. We are the only school district in the state to have a 5/5 Star Financial Efficiency Rating for five consecutive years.

 

One of the many things that make FCS special is that, even with our growth, we still maintain a small-town feel and form connections that go beyond the walls of our schools. As the nation’s 6th fastest growing county from 2010-20, Forsyth County’s growth and increasing diversity have positively impacted our schools. Highly motivated students come to our classrooms locally and from all over the world, representing 129 countries and 69 languages. The fastest-growing population is Asian students at 35%; the student population is also comprised of White 42%, Hispanic 14%, Black or African American 4%, two or more races 3.5%, American Indian or Alaska Native and Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, which are both less than 1%.

 

Parental/guardian and community support in FCS is unmatched. All schools have active PTA/Os, Local School Councils (LSC), volunteer/mentor programs, and Partners in Education and booster programs, and are also supported by the Forsyth County Education Foundation.