Fulton County school board members considered at a meeting Tuesday the district’s budget for the next school year, which calls for giving students more days in the classroom and a pay increase for employees.
Superintendent Robert Avossa’s recommended nearly $878 million proposed budget includes a 3 percent one-time increase in pay for teachers, bus drivers and other workers, as well as an extra day added to the student calendar, bringing it to 178 days. The school district employs nearly 12,000 people.
The district had previously proposed a 2.5 percent pay increase but adjusted it to now offer the 3 percent one-time compensation for employees for the next school year.
Under the budget plan, class sizes won’t change in 2014-2015 school year. Like other districts across Georgia, class sizes in Fulton have grown in recent years because state and local revenue has dropped and teacher positions have been cut. Fulton — Georgia’s fourth-largest school district — has close to 95,500 students, with that number expected to climb by close to 1,000 next school year.
Board members got a first look at the prospective budget at a work session last month. The board is scheduled to vote on the budget later this month and expected to adopt a final version of the budget in June.
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