The Atlanta Public School Board of Education (ABOE) is proud to announce the approval of the Atlanta Public Schools (APS) 2025 budget, which includes an 11 percent increase in teacher pay and a 3 to 5 percent cost of living adjustment for staff across the district.  The vote was held at tonight’s Board Meeting.

This is the largest teacher pay increase approved by the Board in APS history. This pay increase ensures that teachers and staff are recognized for their tireless efforts to ensure all students receive high-quality instruction and support. This increase was possible due to the APS leadership of Interim Superintendent Dr. Danielle Battle, CFO Lisa Bracken, Board Chair Erika Mitchell, Budget Commission Chair Katie Howard, Budget Commission Member Cynthia Briscoe Brown, Budget Commission Member Alfred Shivy Brooks and the Board’s commitment to increasing teacher pay and strengthening culture and climate for its educators and staff.

“This significant pay increase will positively impact our teachers, which was a focus throughout the budget process,” Mitchell said. “I appreciate the Budget Commission’s work with Superintendent Battle, along with every Board member’s participation in the process. The budget is an important lever the Board has to improve student outcomes and teacher morale, and we must ensure it aligns with our priorities and needs for the greatest impact on our students.”

“We know that the true value of our dedicated employees’ work and contribution is difficult to quantify or put on a salary schedule, but we are committed to providing competitive salaries that will allow them to better feed their families while helping us retain our outstanding workforce,” said APS Interim Superintendent Dr. Danielle Battle. “We are grateful that our board members share this belief.”

Other highlights from the approved 2024 to 2025 school year budget include:

●        $11.8 million for the Superintendent’s “Readers are Leaders” initiative focused on ensuring all students are reading on grade level

●        $9 million for Special Education–one of the district’s greatest needs

●        $15.4 million for a new in-house Nutrition Program

●        $720,000 for Safety and Security

●        $7.8 million for one additional position at every school to support the whole child

Some of these new funds were achieved through the reductions in APS’s Central Office staff in an effort to provide more money to the schools. 

“This budget has been a true team effort, and the Budget Commission is thankful for Superintendent Battle, our colleagues who engaged in the budget development process this year and past budget cycles to ensure we could achieve this for our teachers and staff,” Howard said. “ The 2025 budget sets the solid foundation that will be required to significantly increase student growth and outcomes for all our APS students. I look forward to improving and sharpening this focus during the 2026 budget to hone in on our student’s most critical needs to reflect our current school populations.”

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