The Atlanta Board of Education approved unanimously key adjustments to the Atlanta Public Schools’ (APS) FY2021 operating budget that included a $2.8 million increase to local revenue and a $8.2 million increase from the state for a year-end 2% salary increase and a retention bonus, at its monthly meeting Monday evening. 

Details include:

• The retention bonus of $1,000 for education employees across Georgia originated from Governor Kemp but did not include all job titles. However, APS will go above and beyond the positions on the Governor’s eligibility list by providing one-time $1,000 payments to all full-time staff and $500 to all part-time (hourly) staff and permanent substitutes. These bonuses will appear in paychecks on April 30, 2021. 

• In addition, the District has moved forward with part of a compensation package originally proposed for next fiscal year, which is a 2% across-the-board increase to all of the pay scales. Most eligible employees will start seeing these increases appear on paychecks starting on May 15, 2021.

• This would allow the District to start some of the FY22 proposals this school year, get employees their higher wages earlier, and increase the likelihood of funding some of the other, critical compensation initiatives out of next year’s budget. We have been able to provide these increases now because our spending over the past year has been less than anticipated, our tax collections are higher than anticipated, and the state is funding the retention bonus plan for more positions than expected.

“I am thrilled that we are in a position to be able to do this for our employees,” said APS Superintendent Dr. Lisa Herring. “These are a few ways in which this administration and the Atlanta Board of Education want to not just thank our teachers and other staff members for their extraordinary work and dedication, but reward them as well.”

The District is also committed to providing raises and step increases as part of its developing general fund budget for FY2022. Any additional increases would need to be approved by the Board. The budget continues to be discussed at the Board’s Budget Commission meetings, the next of which is planned for April 22, and at the Board’s regular meetings and in upcoming public hearings. The Board is scheduled to approve all final budgets on June 7, 2021, to be effective July 1, 2021. 

More details about the bonuses, raises, and employee eligibility are available in these FAQs provided by the Office of Human Resources. Pay scales are posted on the compensation department’s website.