The Cobb Board of Education unanimously adopted a fiscal year 2023 budget on Thursday that will provide what Superintendent Chris Ragsdale said is the biggest salary increase in the history of the Cobb County School District.
The record $1.4 billion budget, which takes effect July 1, includes pay hikes between 8.5 and 13.10 percent for non-temporary employees.
The raises were included as the Cobb tax digest is expected to grow by more than 10 percent in 2022, and follows $2,000 bonuses for teachers that were approved by the Georgia legislature.
“This is something every team member does not take lightly,” Ragsdale told board members after the vote, expressing his appreciation on behalf of the district’s more than 18,000 employees.
The district will use $29.5 million in budget contingency to fund the budget, roughly half of which is funded by the state through the Quality Basic Education Act.
More budget information can be found by clicking here.
The board also passed, by a 7-0 vote, a measure for the district to hire an architect for classroom renovations at Wheeler High School.
The district will spend $309,111 for Gardner Spencer Smith Tench & Jarbeau of Atlanta to conduct architectural design to upgrade STEM and CTAE classrooms and make other modifications, including upgrading elevated walkways between buildings and converting tennis courts.
Board member Jaha Howard asked Marc Smith, the district’s chief technology and operations officer, if the scope of the work included changing the name of Wheeler—”a Confederate general.”
Board chairman David Chastain said “that’s not part of the agenda item.”
Howard is one of three Democrats on the board who has tried to press for consideration of the Wheeler name change, but they haven’t had the votes to get the matter placed on a board agenda.
A first-term member from Post 2 in Smyrna, Howard is not seeking re-election this year. He is among the Democratic candidates for Georgia School Superintendent who will be on the primary ballot next Tuesday.
Related posts:
- Preliminary work underway for new Walton sports complex
- 4 East Cobb students earn $2.5K National Merit Scholarships
- U.S. News ranks 6 East Cobb High schools among nation’s best
- 13 Wheeler HS students win scholarships in AVID program
- Kell HS senior earns $30K ‘For Atlanta’ scholarship
- McCleskey MS holds international night event
- Walton, Wheeler students earn National Merit Scholarships
- Brumby principal retiring; Sprayberry architect approved
- Cobb schools FY 23 budget includes ‘highest salary increase ever’
- Brumby ES unveils ‘The Aku Mural’ for community use
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