Atlanta school leaders will face tough decisions in the coming weeks as they look for ways to close the gap between what they want to spend next year and the revenue they expect to receive.

Atlanta Public Schools expects to get more public money next year than this year, thanks to expected increases in state funding and local tax collections.

But the district faces rising costs in special education, pension funding, teacher retirement contributions and charter school payments.

And Superintendent Meria Carstarphen is proposing millions more in spending to improve APS’s worst schools, give some employees raises so they’re on par with other district staff, and provide extra help to students affected by the APS test-cheating scandal.

The school-improvement efforts alone could total as much as $28.5 million.

APS’s budget this year is about $705 million.

In the early stages of budget talks, Carstarphen put the gap between proposed spending and expected revenue at about $16 million, though she said she expected it to shrink in the coming weeks as the administration finds additional cuts.

The board has also discussed closing the gap by raising the district’s tax rate or using cash reserves.

“I think it’s still a conversation in progress,” board budget commission chairman Matt Westmoreland said.