The Gwinnett County school board adopted a budget Thursday that includes employee raises, new teaching and special education positions and literacy training.
The general fund, which covers most expenses and daily operations, will be $2.3 billion, about $200 million more than the current general fund. The total budget for the state’s largest school district is $3 billion and will take effect July 1.
More revenue from the state and an expected enrollment increase of about 2,000 students are factors driving the increase.
The millage rate is slated to remain 20.65 mills, but higher assessments are expected to drive a revenue increase for the district. The board will finalize the rate in July.
The budget vote was 4-1 with board Chair Tarece Johnson casting the lone vote against the budget.
She repeated concerns that she’s expressed throughout the budget process: The budget isn’t responsive to needs in the community, particularly providing more resources for students learning English and their teachers, teachers in high-poverty schools and expanded pre-K. She has asked to reexamine allocations to see where funds can go to programs and schools that have high needs.
“This is lack of reconciliation in terms of addressing needs,” Johnson said of the budget and approval process. Staff have noted that the budget can be amended throughout the year, but Johnson still expressed frustration at not seeing change during the budget process.
Other board members have not provided as much input at the budget meetings, although Karen Watkins asked for staff to highlight points of progress in the budget, saying, “I see all the great work that we are doing. We are all doing. All of us take ownership in this. And I hate for it to look like we aren’t trying.”
Here are some key initiatives in the budget:
- 194 new teaching positions due to enrollment increase, 63 special education teaching positions, 22 special education pre-K teaching positions and 38 pre-K paraprofessionals
- A salary step for eligible employees and an additional $3,000 for salaried teachers
- A cost-of-living raise of at least 4% for other employees and a new minimum wage of $15 per hour
- Professional development in the science of reading and structured literacy for all K-5 teachers
- Funding for teachers to earn a free advanced degree from Georgia State University
- SPLOST fund projects, including 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
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