News Summary
The Atlanta Board of Education has approved a $1.3 billion budget for Atlanta Public Schools, aiming to enhance educational resources while addressing financial deficits. Key changes include eliminating over 135 central office positions to save $25 million, increasing funding for schools by $45 million, and prioritizing core academic areas such as English Language Arts and mathematics. The budget reflects a commitment to improve student outcomes and ensure sustainable financial practices. Retirement and health benefits for staff will also see increases, alongside cuts to duplicate programs to optimize resources.
Atlanta – The Atlanta Board of Education has officially approved a $1.3 billion budget for the fiscal year 2026 during a meeting held on Monday evening. This budget marks a strategic shift for Atlanta Public Schools (APS), emphasizing a “back to basics” approach aimed at addressing the district’s financial deficit while prioritizing resources for classroom instruction and foundational learning.
As part of the budgetary changes, APS will eliminate over 135 positions within the central office, which is expected to generate approximately $25 million in savings. This significant reduction in workforce aims to reallocate funds directly to schools, enhancing educational services for students. The budget includes a $45 million increase in funding specifically directed towards schools, with a particular focus on elementary education.
The budget also designates an additional $11 million that will be invested in core academic areas such as English Language Arts and mathematics, reinforcing the district’s commitment to bolstering essential educational programs. Employee benefits have been recognized as a substantial cost factor, leading to an anticipated increase of over $26 million in benefits expenses. In recognition of the financial challenges, APS has introduced measures to limit utility spending and has embraced zero-based budgeting to ensure efficient allocation of resources across programs.
In conjunction with these adjustments, the budget includes a 5% increase in retirement system benefits for teachers and a health benefits increase of 7% for certified staff and 20% for classified staff. However, a $15 million general fund transfer to the School Nutrition Program is being eliminated, and duplicate funding for Atlanta Virtual Academy and Phoenix Academy will be cut to optimize resources for core educational services.
Another notable financial improvement is the reported 86% reduction in the district’s reliance on reserve funds, which reflects a meaningful step towards improved financial sustainability for APS. In addition, the planning process is underway for a new facilities master plan to address infrastructure needs across the district’s 87 learning sites, ensuring that facilities can adequately support the educational environment for approximately 50,000 students who attend various types of APS institutions, such as neighborhood, partner, charter, and alternative schools.
Superintendent Dr. Bryan Johnson has outlined the budget as a focused and deliberate effort to enhance student outcomes while ensuring responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars. The chair of the Board’s Budget Commission further emphasized the critical importance of effectively utilizing funds to support student success throughout the district.
While the budget has been approved, the timeline for when the central office job cuts will take effect has not been disclosed by APS. Overall, the fiscal year 2026 budget reflects a significant restructuring aimed at enhancing the quality of education within APS while maintaining a financial pathway to sustainability.
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Additional Resources
- WSB TV: Atlanta Public Schools Approves $1.3 Billion Budget
- 11Alive: Atlanta Public Schools to Cut 135 Jobs
- Atlanta News First: Over 100 Jobs Cut After APS Budget Approval
- Wikipedia: Atlanta Public Schools
- Fox 5 Atlanta: APS Budget Boosts School Level Funding
- Google Search: Atlanta Public Schools budget 2026
