Bibb school budget draft includes 2 percent bonus and 31 additional teachers

Full-time employees for the Bibb County school district could get up to a 2 percent bonus next year. The Board of Education discussed a one-time bonus during a work session Tuesday night.

A 3 percent bonus had initially been suggested during the first 2017-18 budget work session in March. Ron Collier, chief financial officer, said the adjusted, 2 percent rate is in line with a recommendation from Gov. Nathan Deal. The district implemented a 3 percent raise last year, funded through a 2 mill increase in property taxes.

“It is aligned to our strategic goals and plans,” Collier said. “The idea is that hopefully this ... will motivate our employees. They can earn up to the 2 percent bonus based on achieving those levels.”

The bonuses will cost the district around $2.7 million. The district as a whole will be evaluated on how it meets system goals, and all employees will receive the same amount of money, he said. The bonuses would be awarded in summer 2018 to all staff members hired on or before July 1, 2017.

“I want everybody in Bibb to be a part of what we’re trying to do,” Superintendent Curtis Jones said. “It’s different. It’s thinking outside the box. The focus is to try to make it so that individuals buy into what we’re trying to do at the school district and not at the individual level.”

The new budget would also includes money for 31 additional teachers to reduce class sizes. The district is hoping to to get levels back to what they were before the recession in 2008, Collier said.

Other new positions include 22 medical technicians, eight in-school-suspension paraprofessionals, four behavior interventionists and four elementary school media clerks.

In addition, next year’s budget accounts for the implementation of the Leader in Me character education program in two more schools, while community partners will fund the program in two other schools. The program is already in four Bibb County elementary schools.

The school board’s next budget work session is planned for 6 p.m. May 9.

Members approved several personnel appointments after going into executive session Tuesday. Larry Harold is the new athletic director and head football coach at Central High School.

Kevin Adams was named principal of Howard Middle School, Angela Woodard is assistant principal of Southfield Elementary School, and Tesheika Steward is assistant principal of Northeast High School. At the district level, Lindsey Allen was appointed as executive officer of secondary schools and Timikel Sharpe as executive director of school nutrition.

This story was originally published April 11, 2017 at 8:56 PM with the headline "Bibb school budget draft includes 2 percent bonus and 31 additional teachers."