The Cobb County School District’s tentative 2023 budget includes what the district is calling a “historic” raise for employees.
The state’s second-largest district proposed raises ranging from 8.5% to 13.1% for all non-temporary employees. It will be an $87 million expenditure for the district. This figure includes the $2,000 raises for teachers funded by Gov. Brian Kemp.
“We’re able to be in a position where, like I said, when we’re given additional funding for raises from the state, we’re able to take that money and enhance it exponentially,” Superintendent Chris Ragsdale said at a meeting on Thursday.
The board approved a similar raise for employees in fiscal year 2020, ranging from 8% to 12.6%. In last year’s budget, employees received raises ranging from 4% to 8.6%.
The tentative budget was approved unanimously by the board last week. The board is scheduled to vote on the budget again at its May 19 meeting.
In addition to raises, the tentative budget also adds dozens of new positions, including roughly 40 teachers and 10 school psychologists.
The tentative budget keeps the millage rate the same at 18.9%, but revenue from property taxes is expected to grow as property values increase. The district is also expecting an increase in state funding.
“Not only is the state economy growing rapidly, so is the Cobb County economy,” said the district’s chief financial officer Bradley Johnson.
The total tentative budget is $1.4 billion. It is balanced using $30 million from the district’s reserve funds. Last year, the district budgeted the use of $52 million from its reserves.
The school system is the largest employer in Cobb County with roughly 18,000 employees, about 6,000 of which are classroom teachers.
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