The Gwinnett County school board last week preliminarily approved a budget for the upcoming school year, but not without concerns from its board chair that it doesn’t adequately address academic and resource equity disparities.
Thursday’s vote was the first of two required for adopting a budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1.
The vote was 3-1. Board member Mary Kay Murphy was not in the room during the vote. Board Chair Tarece Johnson was the lone vote against the budget.
Equity is a central tenet of Gwinnett’s operations, but Johnson said resource allocations don’t reflect that.
She asked about special compensation or resources for teachers in schools with a high proportion of low-income students and teachers working with English learners.
“I want to see a budget that meets the needs of the children who need support the most,” Johnson said. “I see it and I witness it because I live in the community where these schools and these students are still not getting their needs met.”
The board will host two public hearings before final adoption. The hearings will be May 18 and June 15 at district headquarters. The board is slated to vote on final adoption June 15.
Here are some key points of the budget proposal and adoption process.
More revenue, more expenses
The proposed total budget is about $3 billion, an increase of about $200 million over the current budget. More revenue from the state and an expected enrollment increase of about 2,000 students are factors driving the increase. The general fund, which covers most expenses and daily operations, will be $2.3 billion.
Millage rate
The district is scheduled to propose a millage rate in June, but early projections with a flat rate anticipate property taxes bringing in about $46.3 million more. The final adoption of a millage rate will be in July.
The current rate is 20.65 mills. The board lowered the rate last year because of higher than expected property assessments.
More teachers, more pay
Credit: Steve Schaefer
Credit: Steve Schaefer
School population growth requires hiring 194 new positions, officials say. The district also plans to hire more than 120 special education teachers and paraprofessionals.
Eligible employees will get a salary step. Salaried teachers will get an additional $3,000. Other employees will receive a cost-of-living raise of at least 4%. The lowest-earning employees will receive a raise that brings their pay to $15 per hour, the new minimum wage for district employees.
New construction
Major projects under this proposal are a $27 million new middle school in the Archer cluster, the $9 million buildout of GIVE Center West, one of the district’s alternative schools, and a $4 million addition to North Gwinnett High School. All those projects will be paid for with SPLOST funds.
Literacy investment
Credit: Josh Reyes
Credit: Josh Reyes
The budget calls for the continued support of pre-K classes at eight schools. The district also plans to purchase science of reading materials and training for all elementary school teachers in the science of reading.
Equity issues may continue to be a factor
The issues with equity that Johnson raised came immediately after the majority of the board asked to table work on equity policies. Board members said they are committed to equity, but they felt it wasn’t the right time to work on policies because of other responsibilities facing the board, such as new curriculum initiatives. The board has also been wary of implementing policies too quickly since a highly criticized rollout of new discipline policies that created confusion in schools and was eventually course corrected.
Johnson expressed disappointment in the board’s sentiment, and that seemed to carry into the budget discussions. “(Can) we go back and look at some opportunities around investing and ensuring equity?” Johnson asked. “This is why policy is important because policy drives behavior.”
Johnson said on Facebook that she was disappointed in the board and said policies, the budget and the strategic plan need to be aligned to meet the needs of the neediest students.
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