Atlanta Schools Cut 300 Jobs

ATLANTA, GA -- The Atlanta School Board has voted to eliminate 300 jobs from its workforce.

The school board voted unanimously on the proposal on Monday, a day before Tuesday morning's news that 46 of its schools showed gains in the Georgia Department of Education 2015 College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) scores.

The school board's move eliminates almost 500 jobs but creates 200 new ones.

Dozens of jobs are being eliminated at the district's downtown central office, while other cuts are the result of schools being closed or projected enrollment drops.

Not affected in the cuts are $10.5 million in raises and bonuses for current personnel.

The entire budgetary proposal includes a $743 million spending plan for the 2016-2017 school year.

Highlights of the budget include:

• $7.3 million in cuts from FY2016 to central office staff and expenditures
• $23.7 million investment in additional support and interventions for struggling schools at risk of state takeover
• $10.6 million for safety and security measures, including implementation of the district’s new in-house safety and security team (cost neutral for the district)
• $15.2 million for step increases and cost of living adjustments for all staff, as well as $950,000 to move Pre-K teachers to the same salary scale as all other teachers in the district
• $18.5 million for ongoing programs and initiatives which support APS’s school cluster model and signature program implementation ($3.5 million more than the current budget)