Atlanta school board approves 11% teacher pay raise in $1.8 billion budget

The Atlanta School Board approved its 2025 budget that includes an 11% pay increase for teachers – the largest increase in the history of Atlanta Public Schools.

The total budget approved Monday for Atlanta Public Schools is $1.79 billion, with the general fund set at $1.26 billion. A presentation of the budget can be viewed by clicking here.

According to the ABOE, the teacher pay increase “ensures that teachers and staff are recognized for their tireless efforts to ensure that all students receive high-quality instruction and support.”

“This significant salary increase will have a positive impact on our teachers, which was a priority throughout the budget process,” ABOE President Erika Mitchell said in a statement. “I appreciate the work of the Budget Committee with Superintendent Battle, as well as the participation of each Board member in the process. The budget is an important lever the school board has to improve student achievement and teacher morale, and we must ensure it aligns with our priorities and needs to have the greatest impact on our students.

“We know that the true value of the work and contributions of our dedicated employees is difficult to quantify or put into a salary scale, but we are committed to offering competitive salaries that will allow them to better feed their families while helping us to retain our exceptional workforce. “Interim Superintendent Dr. Danielle Battle said in a statement. “We are grateful that our board members share this belief.”

Other highlights of the approved budget for the 2024-2025 school year include:

● $11.8 million for the Superintendent’s “Readers are Leaders” initiative to ensure all students read on grade level

● $9 million for special education

● $15.4 million for a new internal nutrition program

● $720,000 for safety and security

● $7.8 million for an additional position in each school to support the whole child

Some of this new funding was obtained through reductions in APS central office staff in an effort to provide more money to schools.

Superintendent Search

While the budget is finalized, the search for a new superintendent continues. Mitchell said ABOE is currently reviewing candidates, but is protecting candidate confidentiality by excluding any identifying factors, such as the candidate’s name, current district or any other factors that might reveal their identity during the process.

The board extended the application period from May 2 to May 17 after board members learned the names of some candidates had been made public — a violation of the process.

“You have a parent group, you have people in the community, you have stakeholders, you have people who know people all over the United States, in Georgia and Atlanta – and people are having conversations,” Mitchell said in a May interview with Rough Draft.

“I’ve been told it’s one of the most important pieces of research, so people are talking about it,” she said. “Conversations were happening in different parts of the city, there were candidates sharing information with the public, to put pressure on people to support them for the position.”

Charter school denied

The board also voted 7-2 Monday to again reject the request to create a five-year charter for Atlanta’s Tapestry Public Charter School.

Tapestry, a DeKalb County school focused on students with special needs such as autism and learning disabilities, attempted to open a new school in the APS system last fall but was blocked by board of directors.

“Consistent with its governance role, the board’s vote this evening confirms the administration’s stated reasons for denying this charter application, including concerns about the proposed school’s ability to meet the range of the needs of Atlanta Public Schools students who most need special education services and the potential impact of the opening of this new school on district operations,” a written statement from the school board said.

Tapestry released a statement after the vote:

We are extremely disappointed by the Atlanta Public School Board’s decision to deny our request for replication in the APS district. After following their advice during last year’s process and meeting the expectations expressed by Board members, we had hoped that they would reverse their previous decision.

This outcome will be devastating for the many families who supported the creation of Tapestry within the APS community, and we are saddened that too many Atlanta families are being denied the opportunity to experience the inclusive, individualized, and innovative programs that Tapestry has to offer. so many students in need.

We will continue to serve neurodiverse students in a manner best suited to their educational needs, as is our mission, and we sincerely believe and have demonstrated that there is a need for our program in the APS school district. Our success has been recognized at the state and national level. The Tapestry Board remains committed to replicating the Tapestry model, and we will take some time to determine our next steps while continuing to consider other interested partners in the metro Atlanta area.