The numbers are preliminary right now, but Hall County School Board members got their first look this week at a budget for the new school year.
Superintendent Will Schofield said the $296.7 million spending plan is about $11 million higher than last year's budget.
"Approximately $9 million of that is salaries and benefits," Schofield said following Monday evening's board meeting. "We're thankful to the state for providing those significant raises for both certified and classified employees."
Under the plan passed by lawmaker in the 2019 legislative session, teachers will receive $3,000 annual pay increases, while classified employees will get 2% increases. Schofield told board members he would like to provide classified employees a 3% raise, which translates to an additional $275,000 in the budget for FY20.
Schofield said the district will need at least eight additional teachers in the new year, noting the growth at Cherokee Bluff High School and the need for more special education teachers.
Schofield also told board members he would like to see a plan to make compensation for school bus drivers and bus mechanics more competitive. In addition, he suggested more hours for school nurses and data entry personnel to handle increasing workloads.
At this point, the school district has not received information on the Hall County tax digest, so Schofield withheld comment on any possible tax increases that might be associated with the new spending plan.
Typically, a final budget is ready for public review by the end of May, and then any necessary public hearings are held in June prior to the final adoption of the budget.
