Gwinnett plans to add teachers, bus drivers

“We wanted to move up so we can recruit and retain the best teachers we can,” said Rick Cost, Gwinnett’s chief financial officer.

Gwinnett officials discussed the changes upon releasing the budget Tuesday. The total is $1.85 billion, a 3 percent decrease from the current spending plan. The biggest reason for the decline is that Gwinnett has completed most of the construction projects funded by a 1 percent sales tax county voters approved in 2011, Cost explained.

Gwinnett will have to spend $11 million more on health care, though, for its bus drivers, cafeteria workers, custodians and others. Gov. Nathan Deal’s proposed budget eliminates state health care funding for those workers because the state doesn’t pay the health insurance tab for thousands of other part-time state employees.

Gwinnett officials said $11 million could pay the salaries and benefits of 137 teachers or fund a 1 percent employee cost-of-living increase.

“It’s a pretty big hit to us,” Cost said of the health care change.

The budget includes a 2.5 percent cost-of-living increase for all employees, longevity pay bumps for some employees and a 10 percent raise for coaches.

The budget does not include a property tax increase.

School board members are scheduled to adopt the budget at a May 21 meeting.