Thirteen Fulton County schools received music technology grants from Save the Music, a national nonprofit.

Fulton County Schools performing arts coordinator Matt Koperniak said the grants paid for hardware and software that teach students industry-standard digital music skills, Fulton Neighbor reported. He said those skills could prepare students for careers in Atlanta's film industry, where music has been identified as a high-demand field.

The district has not said which 13 schools received the grants. North Springs High School and Riverwood International Charter School, the two Sandy Springs high schools in Fulton County Schools' Zone 4, both offer band, chorus and orchestra programs. North Springs also offers music technology classes, according to the district's website.

The grants arrive as music programs face rising costs. Effective tariff rates on wind instruments tripled between the first quarter of 2024 and the first quarter of 2026, jumping from 5 percent to 17.3 percent, according to the Peterson Institute for International Economics. Real imports of wind instruments fell 23.2 percent over that same period.

On Aug. 6, the U.S. Department of Commerce proposed an additional 25 percent tariff on brass instruments including trumpets, trombones and tubas under Section 232, KCCI reported. The public comment period closed Aug. 27. A final determination has not been announced.

Rising costs extend beyond instruments. David Starnes, who works for the Marietta-based Gift of Music Foundation, said he has watched marching band dues climb from $500 to more than $2,000 statewide. The foundation offers income-based instrument rental programs and a repair shop for schools.

"I've seen some programs really have to tap the brakes after three or four years straight of that to go, 'We just can't sustain this and we're gonna lose kids and parents out of our program,'" Starnes told Fulton Neighbor.

Starnes said federal funding cuts to the Department of Education could also hurt arts programs, particularly professional development for music teachers who often work as the sole director in their building.

Fulton County Schools, which serves about 85,000 students, faces a separate budget squeeze. The district adopted a fiscal year 2027 budget with a $56.9 million deficit, driven by declining enrollment and a property-tax assessment cap. How that shortfall affects arts staffing and equipment has not been detailed publicly.

The district has been recognized as a "Best Community for Music Education" by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) every year since 2000. Save the Music has raised more than $75 million for schools nationwide, including Atlanta-area districts.

Alan Fowler, executive director of the Georgia Music Educators Association, said funding gaps across Georgia's 180-plus school systems persist. Districts in areas with higher property values rely less on booster clubs and outside grants to keep programs running.

The Commerce Department has not announced when it will issue a final ruling on the proposed brass tariff.