Atlanta Public Schools approves largest teacher pay raise

Atlanta Public Schools (APS) employees are set to receive a historic pay raise next year after the school district finalized its new budget. Teachers will receive an 11 percent pay increase and all district staff will receive a 3 to 5 percent cost-of-living adjustment, which is the largest teacher pay increase approved by the Board of Education. education since 2009.

The school board said the increase is a way to thank teachers and staff for their hard work in providing students with a quality education.

“This pay increase is great news for our teachers, which has been a priority for us,” said Board President Erika Y. Mitchell. “The budget helps us improve student achievement and teacher morale, and we need to make sure it aligns with our priorities and needs. »

In addition to salary increases, the 2024-2025 budget includes several other important allocations, including:

• $11.8 million for the 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 overall student development.

“We know how valuable our employees are and we want to offer them competitive salaries to help them care for their families and retain our talented staff. We are pleased that our board members support this,” said Superintendent Danielle Battle.

The district says some of the funds were made available through reduced staffing at the district’s central office, allowing more money to be allocated directly to schools.

The APS provides a teacher salary calculator so everyone can see how much they could potentially earn under the new salary thresholds. Anyone interested in finding out more about how to apply for vacancies can click here.