It was a packed meeting room at the DeKalb County Courthouse last week as Director of Schools Patrick Cripps presented the 2024-25 DeKalb County School budget to the DeKalb Commission’s Budget Committee, on Tuesday, May 28. Several school teachers, school staff and Board of Education members were in attendance at the meeting.
With an already looming property tax rate hike on the horizon due to problems with the DeKalb County Jail and a proposed jail/judicial center, county budgets are lean this year. The committee listened to the school proposal, but ended the meeting without taking any action.
The proposed school budget includes pay raises for teachers and staff, based on years of service, with the cost, with benefits, at $1.72 million dollars. Cripps said the total budget with local, state and federal dollars, is expected to be over $33.5 million, not including grants, depending on state figures which have not been released. The school budget for 2023-24 was $30.4 million.
According to the proposed school board approved budget, a $2,000 pay increase would go to school employees with up to nine years of service (155 employees); $5,000 for those with 10-19 years (104 employees); and $6,000 to staff with 20 or more years (108 employees).
In previous years, school raises had been funded through the school system’s $10 million fund balance. This year, the board is asking the county to fund the raises, but the county would almost certainly have to deal with another property tax increase if approved. Currently, a total of 0.5298 cents of the county’s $2.00 property tax rate per $100 of assessed value goes to help fund the DeKalb County School District. That equates to around $62,000 per one cent of the tax levy.
“I know everybody in this county has needs but we have them too. We want the very best for our kids and to get that we have to put the best people in front of your kids,” Director Cripps told the committee.
Cripps told the committee that the raises are needed to help retain educators in what has become a very competitive market. “A couple of years ago the state mandated that in the year 2026 all starting salaries for teachers had to be at $50,000. We are at that point currently. We are in the top seven for starting salaries.”
“But when you look at back end pay for our educators, those with 20-plus years, we are ranked at 70th in the state. I know some say DeKalb can’t be compared to Rutherford or Wilson County, but I say, in a way, you can compare. I know our penny isn’t the same as theirs, but we are above them in starting out teacher pay,” said Cripps.
“Starting teacher pay right now is about $50,200, but a teacher with 20-plus years of experience is at about $59,000. There is a shortage of teachers across the state and what we are seeing is the days of keeping home-grown teachers here is about over. When you look at Rutherford County, a person with an Eds and 20-plus years makes $86,000. We are way short of that at $66,000,” said Cripps.
At least one Budget Committee member stated that he is in support of local teachers and school staff, and wants the school board and county commission to find common ground for future needs, but he has a problem with previous proposals offered by the County Commission.
“I don’t have a problem giving you all a raise because you deserve it. What gets me is we came in good faith to the school board in October and asked for $2 million to build an elementary school, and to get that started without costing taxpayers a dime, but the exact words that came out of the school board were ‘we can’t do that because we give that money to teachers for pay raises.’ That’s what I have a problem with. But I will give you all a raise because I have grandkids that is fixing to start elementary school,” said Culwell.
“We have to work together as a community. Not the school board. Not the county. Not the city. We all have to work together because this county is growing, and teachers are leaving and going to other towns. We have to strive to go forward. I want to do anything to help this school board because I’m all about DeKalb County. Teachers are doing an excellent job with what they have to work with,” said Culwell.
At the end of Cripps’ proposal, public comments were taken from those in attendance, and NES teacher Lisa Mabe asked the committee to help fund the raises, pointing out how surrounding counties receive more pay to retain teachers. “This is my 28th year and I make $56,000 per year,” said Mabe.
“The new hires are making $50,000 and they deserve every penny of it. I could go somewhere else, but I don’t really want to because this is my home,” said Mabe.
Mabe explained that she teaches with another teacher and how the pay gap seems unfair. “We are 10 years apart in teaching. In two years, she will make more than me and we’re 10 years apart. I love her to death, and she deserves every dime she is making, but that is not fair.”
The budget committee will have to vote on recommending the proposal at an upcoming meeting, before it goes before the entire county commission for approval. If the committee does not recommend the school budget, it will be sent back to the board of education for revision.
