Employees with the Gwinnett County Public School System will soon receive a bump in their pay following recent financial decisions from the county's Board of Education.
According to a press release from the school system, the school board adopted a millage rate Wednesday to support the Fiscal Year 2024 budget. This follows the board's adoption of the FY2024 budget at its June 15 meeting.
"The FY2024 budget will now include a $3,500 salary increase for teachers, a minimum 4.5% cost-of-living increase for classified staff, minimum wage increases to $15.00/hour across the board, and a longevity step for eligible employees," the press release reads.
All eligible employees will also receive a one-time, $1,000 supplement to be paid out this fall.
The starting salary for a new GCPS teacher with a bachelor's degree is now $55,146, up from $51,646.
“I believe our teachers and employees are the best in the business, and they have certainly earned this increase in compensation,” Superintendent Calvin Watts said. “Similar to last year, the district received information that the county-wide digest would be increasing, and our district has earmarked some of the funds to increase the teacher salary schedule to remain competitive with other districts while also maintaining our strong fiscal health. This will enable us to attract and retain superior educators and support staff while furthering the district’s commitment to improving student outcomes.”
The millage rates were set at 19.20 mills for maintenance and operations and 1.45 mills for debt service.
"The budget provides investments in the areas of compensation, school-based resources, early literacy, access and opportunity, and safety and security," the release said.
