Atlanta Public Schools planning to increase teacher pay by 11%

ATLANTA — Atlanta Public Schools plans to give teachers an 11% boost in pay as part of the new budget for the upcoming school year,

According to budget documents published ahead of a vote on the latest spending plan, the school system will be leveraging $58.9 million in new investments in teacher salaries, retention stipends and non-teacher cost of living adjustments.

APS said compensation for staff and teachers is a main part of their talent management strategy.

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“As part of the budget planning process, the Office of Human Resources provides recommendations for investments in compensation strategies that support the recruitment, development, and retention of a highly talented workforce,” according to documents from APS’ budget plan. “For the average teacher, that’s an 11% increase, while non-teachers could see between 3%-5% raises for the 2025 fiscal year.”

Of the nearly $59 million for teacher and staff salaries, APS said they’ll be spending $8.2 million on sponsoring work visas, paying early hiring incentives and retention incentives for “hard-to-fill subject and high-needs schools.”

Another $1.5 million will be spent on investments for leadership, teacher and career development programs, according to the budget presentation.

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In a deeper look at the school’s budget plan, officials said compensation recommendations were made based on staying competitive in the market, adjusting for inflation and living wages, and strategizing to improve recruitment and retention for the school district.

“This year, the district has continued to remedy pay parity and to show appreciation to employees and help offset their personal costs. Approximately $59.3 million dollars in employee compensation and total rewards, recognizing that employees are the most valuable resource, maintaining a compelling employee compensation structure is priority for our district,” APS said in a report.

The district will also be raising base salaries between 6.5% to 8.4% for all eligible employees based on a market salary scale, impacting all employee groups and step increments, according to documents from APS.

A series of stipends and one-time payments to employees were also highlighted for different groups of staff and teachers, based on different areas of focus and need.

Additionally, the FY2025 budget includes funding for literacy coaches and support positions, including:

• $11.8 million to continue our “Readers are Leaders” initiative bringing literacy coaches and professional learning to every elementary school
• $7.8 Million to ensure one additional position to every school to support the whole-child
• $9 Million in new investments for Special Education

On June 3, the Atlanta Public Schools Board of Education will meet for final adoption of the budget, before holding a second public budge hearing later that day.

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