FY2025 Budget Adjustments

The Gwinnett County Board of Education (BOE) tentatively adopted the FY2025 budget on April 18, 2024. Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) is pleased to share important updates regarding new budget investments intended to positively impact our students, staff, and community. Additional revenue received from the state has allowed GCPS to make adjustments to the proposed FY25 budget, including increasing staff compensation, literacy resources, college and career readiness supports, and school safety. These adjustments, which are the result of collective feedback from students, families, staff, community, and our Board of Education, hold the potential to positively impact each and every GCPS student. The adjusted proposed FY2025 Total Budget is approximately $3.2 billion, a slight increase from last year’s budget.

The additional $32 million in investments in the adjusted proposed FY2025 budget are strategically aligned with the district’s long-term plan. These investments are a direct response to feedback from the Gwinnett County Board of Education and the community budget survey. Teacher salaries and benefits and school safety, identified as the highest budget priorities, are being addressed. The budget also focuses on purchasing and/or expanding the use of high-quality instructional materials and professional development for teachers and administrators. Finally, strategic investments previously funded under ESSER are now sustained by other funding sources, as ESSER funds expire this fall.

GCPS believes that the proposed adjustments reflect significant investments in our students, staff, and community. These strategic investments hold the potential to positively impact our students and schools, contributing to the overall growth and health of our school district. All investments that have been adjusted in the proposed budget since April 18 are italicized.

Every teacher will receive a $4,000 salary increase and a longevity step if applicable.

Teacher salary increases include the Governor’s approved increase of $2,500 for every step on the teacher salary schedule, plus an additional investment of $1,500 per teacher, funded by GCPS, for a total of $4,000. The average teacher's salary change from FY2024 is approximately 6.92%.

Employees not paid on the teacher salary schedule will receive a minimum 4.25% cost-of-living increase and a longevity step if applicable.

Teachers and staff in GCPS have seen salary increases every year since 2018-19, as shown below.

Fiscal Year	Salary Increases for Benefit-Eligible Employees
2023-2024	$3,500 increase for teachers, minimum 4.5% COLA for non-teachers; longevity step for all eligible employees
2022-2023	$3,000 increase for teachers, 6.0% COLA for non-teachers; longevity step for all eligible employees
2021-2022	$2,000 increase for teachers, 2.0% COLA for non-teachers; longevity step for all eligible employees
2020-2021	Longevity step for all eligible employees
2019-2020	$3,000 increase for teachers, 2.0% COLA for non-teachers; longevity step for all eligible employees
2018-2019	2.25% COLA and a longevity step for all employees

In addition to salary increases in FY24, all eligible employees received $2,000 in supplements. The first was a $1,000 retention supplement in December 2023, approved by the Board and Superintendent, and the second was $1,000 in January 2024 to all employees as an expansion of the Governor’s $1,000 supplement for specified employees. As part of GCPS’s commitment to employee retention, the district is evaluating the payment of a retention supplement in FY2025. More information will be shared as it becomes available.

The FY2025 budget includes funding to cover increases in both the State Health Benefit Plan (SHBP) and the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia (TRS).

The adjusted proposed FY2025 budget includes investments that directly support the district’s identified areas of focus for implementing the strategic priorities in 2024-2025.

College and Career Readiness
- Funding for staff and support services to increase student access to rigorous coursework and to support federal and state requirements for on-time graduation.
- Fully funding the SAT for All program, previously funded by ESSER.
- Addition of graduation coaches for each cluster.
Each and Every Student
- Funding for staff in the areas of psychological services and special education and funding for contracted services for school-based mental health clinicians.
- Increased allotments of local school funds based on their Multilingual Learner (ML) population.
- Increased allotments of local school funds based on % of students that receive Free/Reduced meals.
- Increased funding for new athletic safety equipment and reconditioning of current equipment.
- Increased funding for instructional intervention resources and professional learning for teachers and school leaders.
- Increased funding for Early Learning, including the addition of a school bus driver and part-time teacher for the Play 2 Learn program.
Literacy Proficiency
- Funding for the system-wide Multilingual Learner (ML) program initiative and staff, including multilingual program coordinators, biliteracy specialists, translators/interpreters, and a literacy coordinator.
- Purchase of supplementary materials to support teachers of elementary ML students with language acquisition.
- Allocation of additional funds towards Multilingual Learner supports such as extended learning and tutoring.
Safe and Welcoming Schools
- Continued funding for cybersecurity protection, funding for air filtration and additional support for maintenance operations, funding through Capital Projects to modernize school intercom systems, and grant funding for safety and security initiatives at every school.
- Additional funding for training and implementation support for behavior interventions for teachers and school leaders.

On June 20, 2024, the BOE will hold the second Public Budget Hearing for the FY2025 budget at 6:00 p.m. before the business meeting. During the business meeting, the board will vote on the final FY2025 Budget and will tentatively decide on the millage rate. The Public Hearing will begin at 6:00 p.m. in the Board Room. Those wishing to speak at the public hearing can sign up in person between 5:00 p.m. – 5:59 p.m. at the table outside of the Board Room. Speakers at the Public Hearing will have three minutes in which to address the Board.

GCPS Superintendent Dr. Calvin J. Watts is asking the board to approve a reduction in the operation millage rate for FY2025 from 19.20 to 19.10 This reduction in the millage rate, coupled with new homestead exemptions, is intended to provide property tax relief for Gwinnett County residents.

GCPS encourages our students, staff, and community to review budget documents and recordings of budget presentations and hearings on the district’s website. The Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) below address commonly asked questions. If your question or concern is not addressed below, please reach out to the Budgets Office for assistance.

FY2025 Budget Adjustments Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the teacher salary increase in GCPS less than in neighboring districts?

Gwinnett County Public Schools is committed to providing all employees with the most robust, financially sustainable compensation and benefits package possible.  

GCPS embraces a measured financial approach that allows GCPS to provide increases to its employees while avoiding furloughs or reductions in staff through the years.

GCPS has a Social Security replacement defined benefit plan, Gwinnett Retirement System, that is 100% employer-driven—there is no employee GRS deduction. Additionally, since GCPS does not contribute to Social Security, employees receive an additional 6.2% in take-home pay.

Unlike many districts, all eligible GCPS teachers receive a longevity step with each completed year of full-time experience until reaching the maximum step on the salary scale.

GCPS has provided employee retention payments as the budget has allowed and is evaluating doing so in FY25.

GCPS has made significant investments over the last several years to reduce class size and to invest in high-quality programs and supports for our students. These investments, while instrumental for the development and growth of our students, also reduced the amount of revenue available to be allocated to employee salaries.

When will the FY2025 Teacher Salary Schedules be available to staff?

Where did the revenue come from to support the additional investments?

Will both millage rates be reduced?

What does “Increased allotments of local school funds” mean?

The adjusted proposed FY25 Budget includes revisions to the district’s allotment formula, increasing funding for schools based on the unique needs of their student population. The adjusted proposed FY2025 budget provides increased funding for those with higher populations of students receiving Free or Reduced meals and/or higher populations of Multilingual Learners.