$2B Budget, SPLOST, Human Trafficking Prevention: DeKalb Schools

DEKALB COUNTY, GA — A $2 billion budget, new athletic field lighting, multiple school upgrades and a grant covering curriculum for human trafficking prevention were all approved at the DeKalb County School District Board of Education meeting this week.

Here's what you need to know:

1. From 2021-22, the district has $2 billion to cover its expenses.

The $2 billion budget for fiscal year 2021-22 — which runs from July 1 to June 30, 2022 — was initially set for approval at the July 12 meeting, but it was moved to the July 28 meeting.

A divided board then rejected the budget, deferred the vote for a second time and enacted a spending resolution to cover the district's financial obligations through August, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Board members Joyce Morley and Anna Hill also voted against the final adoption of the budget, but it ultimately passed.

The approved budget includes:

• $1.196 billion in the general fund, which pays for district operations. The general fund also provides in excess of $836 million, or roughly 70 percent of the budget, directly to schools with enrollment forecasted above 97,000 students. Within the general fund:
  • $11.6 million for district-wide employee compensation raises.
  • Retention bonuses for all eligible employees: 6 percent in FY 2022, 4 percent in FY 2023 and 3 percent in FY 2024.
  • $10 million directly to schools for additional instructional staff and resource needs.
  • $32 million for bus drivers and bus monitors.
  • $27 million for paraprofessionals and $2.9 million for interpreters.
  • $7.7 million for counselors; $4.8 million for social workers and $9.5 million for nurses.
  • $1.6 million to support athletic programs.
  • $14 million for the improvement of instruction and professional development for staff.

2. The district accepted a federal grant designed to cover the cost of a high-school curriculum raising awareness for human trafficking prevention.

The board approved using $153,050 — from a $1.8 million U.S. Department of Health and Human Services grant — to pay the organization Love 146 for the curriculum, materials and supplies, technology and staff training for human trafficking prevention. Love 146 is an international human trafficking prevention agency.

Staff will become certified trainers and redeliver the Not a Number human trafficking curriculum to ninth grade students. Grant funds will be used to cover the curriculum, materials, supplies, training and technology, but will also be used to increase staff, parent and community awareness through resource fairs and distribution of materials at school-based events throughout the year.

All high schools are scheduled to receive staff training over the three-year grant period. Love 146 has trained 39 staff members at 18 high schools thus far. The five-hour curriculum implementation is scheduled to start with ninth graders in fall 2021.

3. More than $15 million in E-SPLOST projects got the go-ahead.

The board approved the following projects from the voter-approved Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (E-SPLOST) project list:

• $1.028 million for major building system upgrades and replacements at Laurel Ridge, Woodridge and Chesnut elementary schools, as well as Druid Hills Middle School.
• $157,474.82 for facility upgrades at Eldridge L. Miller Elementary School.
• $9 million for roof replacements at Ashford Park, Brockett, Wynbrooke and Oak Grove elementary schools, as well as DeKalb Alternative School/East DeKalb Campus.
• $6 million for new athletic field lighting at 18 high schools, which are also slated to get new track and turf installations in the future.