Families at North Springs High School and Riverwood International Charter School can expect smaller classes and tighter school budgets over the next five years as Fulton County Schools projects a 7.4% decline in high-school enrollment across its North Fulton region.
The district estimates the region will shrink from about 15,655 high-school students in the 2025-26 school year to roughly 14,492 by 2030-31, a loss of approximately 1,163 students, according to the North Atlanta Star, which cited FCS enrollment data. Both Sandy Springs high schools fall within the North Fulton zone.
Fewer students translate directly into less money. Georgia's Quality Basic Education formula ties state funding to per-pupil counts, so every student who leaves takes dollars with them. The district's own budget documents warn that without intervention, the general fund could fall more than $113 million below zero by fiscal year 2030.
Budget already feeling the pinch
FCS adopted a $2.3 billion budget for fiscal year 2027 in June with a $56.9 million deficit baked in. Middle and high schools received less funding than the prior year because of declining enrollment and allocation adjustments, Chief Financial Officer Marvin Dereef said during spring 2026 budget presentations.
The district has leaned on a cost-cutting framework called G.L.I.D.E., projected to save about $50 million. Measures include a district-wide furlough day, saving roughly $4.5 million, and eliminating reduced schedules for high schoolers to boost full-time enrollment counts and capture additional state funding.
"Over the course of this last year, we did some austerity cuts," Superintendent Mike Looney told the board in August, according to Rough Draft Atlanta. "We implemented a project called GLIDE to gradually, purposefully, and systematically begin reducing expenses."
Millage increase on the table
On Thursday, Aug. 20, Looney recommended raising the district's property tax rate from 17.08 to 18.08 mills, a 5.85% increase and the first hike in seven years.
Three public hearings on the proposed rate are expected before a final board vote. This year's timeline is complicated: a court-approved temporary billing order tied to delays in the property tax digest process allows the rate-setting timeline to extend past the usual Sept. 1 deadline, according to Rough Draft Atlanta. The North Learning Center, at 450 Northridge Parkway in Sandy Springs, has served as a hearing site for past FCS rate and policy decisions.
National context, local impact
The enrollment slide is not unique to Fulton County. The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education projects U.S. high-school graduates will fall about 13% between a 2025 peak and 2041. The report's regional and state-level breakdowns are more complex than a simple regional ranking, and a specific Georgia figure was not confirmed for this story.
FCS says its own enrollment has been falling since a 2016-17 peak as large graduating classes exit and smaller kindergarten cohorts enter. The district has already closed two elementary schools to align with regional trends.
No school-specific enrollment projections for North Springs or Riverwood have been released publicly. The district has not said whether the North Fulton decline will trigger staffing reductions or program changes at individual Sandy Springs schools.
