Bill going through Georgia Legislature would increase pay for DeKalb School Board members
DeKalb County Board of Education members pose for a photo during DeKalb County Board of Education’s Oath of Office Ceremony at the Robert R. Freeman Administrative & Instructional Complex in Stone Mountain on Friday Jan. 6, 2023.
(Left-Right) Vickie Turner (Dist. 5,) Whitney McGinniss (Dist. 2,) Diijon DaCosta, Sr. (Dist. 6,) Allyson Gevertz (Dist. 4,) Deirdre Pierce (Dist. 3) and Anna Hill (Dist. 1.) Dr. Joyce Morley, not shown represents Dist. 7. Photo by Dean Hesse.
DeKalb County, GA — The Georgia Senate has passed a bill that would increase the pay for DeKalb County School Board members to $25,000.
Senate Bill 531 passed the Senate by a vote of 45-0 on March 4 and now goes to the state House. The pay increase is less than what board members were seeking.
A pay increase is part of the school board’s legislative priorities for the year. The school board was seeking to raise the yearly pay for board members from $18,000 + $450 per monthly meeting to $30,000 + $450 per monthly meeting.
“A pay increase from $18,000 to $30,000 would ensure that the position of board member remains attractive to committed and capable individuals interested in becoming future members of the board,” a document of the legislative priorities states.
School Board Chair Diijon DaCosta previously said that is well below the salary of comparable school districts and county officials, and that they want to make sure that serving is attractive to future potential board members.
Writers Jaedon Mason and Sara Amis contributed to this story.
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