Hiring freeze instituted by Atlanta Public Schools
Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Erroll Davis has put a hiring freeze in place so that incoming Superintendent Meria Carstarphen will have flexibility to make organizational changes when she takes over this summer.
Davis wrote in a Wednesday memo to his senior cabinet that the hiring freeze excludes hiring for positions that directly affect student engagement, such as teachers, principals, bus drivers, food service workers and custodians.
“I appreciate that the hiring freeze may pose a challenge for some departments; however, at this critical juncture, it is important that all employees understand that they will be expected to take on additional work assignments, if necessary, to compensate for unfilled positions,” Davis wrote. “While the situation is not ideal, it is necessary at this time.”
Davis also wrote that he has frozen all purchases of items over $1,000, with the exemption of existing commitments such as contracts, requests for proposals and other written agreements.
Requests for additional information from Atlanta Public Schools weren’t immediately answered Thursday.
The hiring and purchasing freeze comes as the Atlanta Board of Education is attempting to finalize a $658 million budget for next school year.
About the Author
Mark Niesse is an enterprise reporter and covers elections and Georgia government for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and is considered an expert on elections and voting. Before joining the AJC, he worked for The Associated Press in Atlanta, Honolulu and Montgomery, Alabama. He also reported for The Daily Report and The Santiago Times in Chile.
