Macon schools OK one-time $2,000 state bonus, extends it to more school workers

The Bibb County Board of Education unanimously approved Thursday the extension of a one-time $2,000 state-funded salary supplement to additional school district employees, including some who are not covered under state funding.

The decision allows the district to provide a $2,000 supplement to eligible full-time employees and contracted personnel, and a prorated $1,000 supplement to qualifying part-time workers.

The move follows action by the Georgia General Assembly, which approved a fiscal year 2026 midyear, one-time $2,000 payment for staff funded through the state’s Quality Basic Education (QBE) formula and other state grant programs.

In late March, Bibb County Schools received $5.07 million to cover the supplement and related payroll taxes for 2,465 state-funded staff members, according to a district memo.

At the board meeting, Chief Financial Officer Eric Bush presented the action memo and said the district will use local and other funds to provide comparable payments to full-time and part-time workers who are not funded through the state.

The supplement is expected to cost the district $2.4 million from general funds and $327,000 from a combination of federal, state and local funding sources, Bush said.

Under the approved plan, the district will:

• Provide a $2,000 supplement to permanent full-time district employees and full-time contracted workers — including paraprofessionals, custodians, long-term substitutes and contracted nurses — who are working in the district during the 2025-26 school year and are actively employed or contracted as of April 1, 2026.

• Provide a $1,000 pro-rata share supplement to part-time district employees and part-time contracted workers — including retirees working 49% or less and others in less than full-time roles — who are working during the 2025-26 school year and are actively employed or contracted as of April 1, 2026.

Short-term substitutes and individuals working under service agreements are not eligible.

The supplements are scheduled to be paid no later than May 15, 2026, with final costs to be determined once eligibility is confirmed, according to the district’s memo. All applicable federal and state taxes will be withheld from the payments, and contracted workers may receive a 1099 form for the supplement.

District officials said the payments are intended to recognize employees’ contributions and ongoing commitment to the school system.

In March, the Georgia Department of Education said it strongly supported the bonus, including the state’s continued investment in teacher compensation and “hardworking educators.”

“Georgia’s students deserve excellent instruction in schools that open up opportunities for their futures, and the educators who make that happen each day deserve our support,” State School Superintendent Richard Woods said in a statement during the 2026 legislative session. “I’m encouraged to see continued momentum on legislation aligned to our priorities — supporting teachers, strengthening learning and instruction, and ensuring the safe and supportive learning environments students need to thrive.”