Prioritizing both teachers and students, the Cobb County Board of Education approved the $1.036 million school district budget for the 2018-2019 school year (FY2019). The budget includes a 1.1 percent raise for all permanent employees and a one-time 1.1 percent bonus for teachers. The FY2019 budget reflects the values of the Cobb County Board and Superintendent and continues to prioritize teachers and students in providing world-class facilities, cutting-edge technology, trend-setting student safety measures, and competitive salaries.
“Under the leadership of this Board, a teacher who entered Cobb County School District (CCSD) during the 2014-2015 school year has seen a 20.5 percent salary increase. That’s more than $8,000 over the last three years in addition to two, one-time bonuses, which added another 2.2 percent,” said Superintendent Chris Ragsdale.
FY2019 Budget Highlights:
- 1.1 percent salary increase for all permanent employees
- 1.1 percent bonus for non 238-day employees (teachers, hourly employees, bus drivers, counselors, media specialists, etc.)
- Decrease in workdays for 238-day employees from 238 days to 236 days (administrators, principals, other annual employees, etc.) with no decrease in pay
- Full salary schedule step for eligible employees
- The proposal contains no millage tax increase and holds the millage rate at 18.9 mills: Loss of $144 million dollars in local revenue to the state in the form of fair-share
Chris Ragsdale, Cobb County School Superintendent
Cobb County School Board Member Scott Sweeney noted, “Under the leadership of Superintendent Ragsdale, the Cobb County School District is one of the only districts in the country which is both debt-free and has a AAA credit rating. State revenue continues to lag behind explosive student growth across the county, which is best seen in $144,000,000 in lost revenue to the state through the state of Georgia’s fair-share provision.”
The Cobb County School District is the second largest school system in Georgia and the 23rd largest in the nation. It serves 112,000 students and 112 schools, including 67 elementary schools, 25 middle schools, 16 high schools, one charter school, one special education center, one adult education center and one performance learning center.
This article originally appeared in the August issue of the EAST COBBER magazine, on page 7. Click here to view the digital edition.
