Gwinnett County Public Schools employees will get a larger raise than expected this school year.
Teachers will receive a cost-of-living raise of $3,000. The budget, which the board approved in June, had raises of $2,000. Non-teaching staff will receive a cost-of-living raise of 6%. They were initially scheduled to get a 4% raise.
Superintendent Calvin Watts suggested the pay boost at a special school board meeting last week. The board adopted his proposal unanimously.
Watts and district budget staff developed the budget for fiscal year 2023 based on real estate revenue projections in January. Since then, the assessed values of homes have increased, driving up the revenue projection.
Before the budget was adopted in June, Watts suggested reducing the millage rate by 0.7 mills because the tax revenue would have likely exceeded budgetary needs. The school board has held one of three required public hearings related to the millage rate. The remaining two hearings will be July 13, and the board is slated to vote on the rate that day as well.
Even if the lower millage rate is adopted, money was available for the additional salary increases.
“These salary increases will be reflected on the FY23 salary schedules to attract and maintain superior educators and support staff, furthering the district’s commitment to increased student outcomes,” a district news release stated.
This approval brings the starting salary for a new teacher in Gwinnett who holds a bachelor’s degree to $51,646. Last year, starting teachers in Gwinnett County Public Schools made $48,646. The district’s minimum wage is now $13.77 per hour. Paraprofessionals, which the district had struggled to hire last year, now have a starting pay of $15.24 per hour.
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