DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — The DeKalb County Board of Education (DCBOE) approved its budget for next year, which will allow for increased teacher pay, a lower millage rate and more.
The DeKalb County School District proposed a $2.05 billion budget for all funds, including a $1.58 billion operating budget. The money would go toward the following:
- Retention and new hire incentives.
- Step increases for all eligible employees.
- A restructuring of the teacher salary schedule, increasing teacher salaries by an average of 6.1%.
- Implementation of a compensation study, raising 97% of non-teaching salaries by 5.0-5.5%.
- Additional Early Learning classrooms.
- Continued support for Horizon schools.
- Extension of the IGNITE Teacher Residency Program.
- A Security Associate for each elementary school.
- Senior Advisors for each high school.
The millage rate will also be reduced by 0.10 mills to 22.88 for fiscal year 2025. The district said this is the second year in a row the millage rate has been lowered, following a reduction in FY24 from 23.08 to 22.98, which had been steady since FY20.
Superintendent Dr. Devon Q. Horton expressed his gratitude for the Board's guidance and highlighted the budget's focus on enhancing student outcomes across all schools.
"This budget reflects our commitment to equity by investing in our staff and funding support systems that will positively impact students, families, and the communities that rely on us," said Horton.
