Overview:
Dekalb County School Board is set to discuss and approve a general fund budget adjustment earmarked for employee bonuses.
At next week’s regularly scheduled meeting, the Dekalb County School Board is set to discuss and approve a general fund budget adjustment earmarked for employee bonuses.
This budget adjustment comes after Governor Brian Kemp announced on December 18 a $1,000 retention bonus for state employees, teachers, and support staff. Dekalb County Schools received $9,930,774 from the state of Georgia for those employees at the end of December 2023.
Seeking a way to increase the number of employees eligible for a retention bonus, the board of education recommends a $1,000 bonus for all active, full-time benefits-eligible staff employed as of January 17th. A $500 bonus for part-time employees employed as of January 17 and substitute teachers who worked 250 hours during the fall of 2023.
These additional bonuses would bring the estimated total cost for the proposed bonus distribution to $13.5 million.
If the recommendations are approved, a $246,518 will be drawn from additional funds received through the Pre-K program, while approximately $3.3 million from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) III funds will be utilized to fund the $13.5 million initiative fully.
If approved, the distribution date for the retention bonuses would be January 17, 2024.
The Dekalb County School Board will meet on January 8 at their administrative center in Stone Mountain.