Atlanta Public Schools paraprofessionals, custodians and bus drivers have received a 10% raise for the 2025-26 school year.
The staff pay increase follows the largest district-wide teacher pay increase in APS history of 11% last year. District 3 school board member Ken Zeff said these raises will help APS stay competitive in hiring and retaining staff in different roles and programs.
“The board approved a 10% raise for paraprofessionals, custodians and bus drivers to recognize how essential they are to our schools,” Zeff said. “Last year, we focused on raises for teachers and instructional staff, and this year we wanted to send a clear signal of appreciation to other employees, who are just as vital.”
Antoine Billingsley has been a bus driver for APS for 11 years. He said the salary increase creates exciting possibilities.
“I am always excited about an increase,” Billingsley said. “It will help me pay more bills. With all the wages, any help goes a long way for us.”
Approved by the school board last month, the raises also include “market adjustments” for school nurses. Registered nurses will receive a salary increase of 1% and licensed practical nurses will get a 2% salary increase.
“Prior to the recent adjustments, APS already led the market in average salaries for both RNs and LPNs,” Zeff said. “For example, our starting salary for registered nurses is more than $10,000 higher than our closest competitor. In contrast, for many of our classified staff groups, APS ranked third, on average, for midpoint salaries.”
Zeff said these adjustments distinguish APS salary in the comparative market analyses with neighboring districts.
“Our human capital team carefully reviews what neighboring districts pay when setting our salary schedule, and these raises help keep us competitive,” Zeff said. “More importantly, our goal is to show our staff that we value them and the critical role they play in supporting students every day.”
According to the Economic Policy Institute, there is a nationwide bus driver shortage. Billingsley thinks APS’s high comparative salary will attract more drivers.
“We’re higher in salary now, and everybody’s looking for a [high] salary,” Billingsley said. “With the high salary, a lot of drivers should want to come over here.”
On the contrary, LPN Wanda Taylor does not think the raises for nurses will have their intended effect.
“I have never been satisfied with my salary,” Taylor said. “An LPN is not paid well here in Georgia. Not many nurses are interested in coming to work for a school where the workload and the pay do not align.”
Taylor believes school nurses do more and deserve greater compensation than most people see.
“My day starts at 8:15,” Taylor said. “As soon as the students are allowed to come to the floors, it starts. Someone fell off the bus, crashed on their scooter, a dog bit them on the way to school, they got hit by a car, ‘I just threw up in the bathroom’, student confused during first class, they vaped a Delta-8 in the bathroom, they ate shrooms [mushrooms] on the way to school, anxiety, I need my phone… and so it goes until noon. Typically, I see 15 to 20 students and staff before lunch. No, I don’t think I’m paid my worth.”
The APS Board implemented the raises as a symbol of appreciation, and they expect employee retention to rise as a result.
“We expect these raises to improve employee retention by showing staff that their work is both valued and essential,” Zeff said. “Compensation matters, but so does appreciation, and this raise demonstrates — through our budget — that paraprofessionals, custodians, and bus drivers are integral to the success of our students. When employees feel recognized and supported, they are more likely to stay and continue contributing to our schools.”
Contributions by Sophia Moscaliov
