Teachers In Dekalb County Could Receive A Pay Raise Soon

Dekalb County teachers could receive a pay raise in the upcoming school year.

Dekalb County Director of Schools Patrick Cripps said if the proposed budget passes, teachers in Dekalb County could start out at $50,000 a year. He said he will continue to push and try to get that amount higher in the future.

“This is an excellent career to make a difference in people’s lives, but they also have to be able to support themselves and their families,” Cripps said. “And that’s why I think its important, as other fields increase their salaries I think we’ve got to keep up to step with that.”

Cripps said raising pay is a way to show teachers how much they are appreciated. He said teachers work hard and play a vital role in the development of future generations.

They affect lives, not only academically, but socially and emotionally,” Cripps said. “They touch so many and I tell them all the time that they’re generation changers, and that they can set a kids course of life by how they interact not only academically, but how they interact with them on a personal level.”

Cripps said raising teacher salaries can also help curb the teacher shortage in the area, and draw more teachers to take jobs locally.
“Everybody’s out there competing and trying to get the best educators they can for their systems,” Cripps said. “And I’m sure one of the first things is that people want to work in their hometown, but they also are going to look at salary and what people close to them is paying.”

The school board is working with Dekalb County Commissioners to finalize the new fiscal year budget.