Legislative Priorities Updated 1.8.2024

DeKalb County Board of Educa on
Mr. Diijon DaCosta Sr., Board Chair
District 6
Mrs. Deirdre P. Pierce, Vice Chair
District 3
Mrs. Anna Hill
District 1
Mrs. Whitney McGinniss
District 2
Ms. Allyson Gevertz
District 4
Mrs. Vickie B. Turner
District 5
Dr. Joyce Morley
District 7




                           LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES 2024
The DeKalb County School Board works together annually to iden fy, define, and adopt
Legisla ve Priori es that support the District’s vision, mission, goals, and strategic direc on.
Through the following 2024 legisla ve priori es, we collec vely advocate for policies that
directly improve the school experience for students, improve the working environment for
educa on professionals, and safeguard and advance the system of public educa on in DeKalb
County, Georgia. The Board asks the DeKalb Legisla ve Delega on to support the Legisla ve
Priori es in the 2024 session of the Georgia General Assembly and ensure that no legisla on is
introduced that would impede the Board’s ability to govern the school system.

QBE Formula
QBE Formula DCSD supports ini a ves that protect and stabilize the ability of school boards to generate
funding for educa on, and that do not restrict the ability of school boards to direct those resources to
students, as necessary. This substan ve reform should begin with modernizing funding for
transporta on and establishing an increased and fully funded weight for students iden fied as
Economically Disadvantaged, much in the same manner that Students with Disabili es and English
Language Learners also receive a substan ve increase in assigned funding. Therefore, DCSD requests
the QBE Equaliza on formula under O.C.G.A. Title 20, Ch. 2, Art. 6 be amended to account for the
present-day costs of buses/fuel, and the significant impact of poverty.

Retired Teachers Returning to Work
Under HB 385, passed in the 2022 legislative session, retired teachers who met certain criteria
were able to return to work without impacting their retirement benefits. However, this criterion
includes that teachers are not eligible if they have been retired for less than one year, and that
they must be teaching in a high needs area as defined by the relevant RESA. DCSD requests that
those criteria be amended to allow teachers to return sooner than one year from retirement,
preferably 30 days; and to expand the high needs areas to all content areas.
Abatements and Other Tax Diversions
School districts should be granted representa on on any development authori es which have the
power to grant abatements or other diversions from school districts of school taxes and standing
to object to any proposed abatements. Further, school districts should be allowed to limit the
amount of a reduc on in any single abatement or similar ac on as well as impose an aggregate
limit for all such abatements and similar ac ons. This could be accomplished by allowing the
General Assembly to adopt local legisla on regarding specific individual development authori es.
This was recommended by a 2022 Senate study commi ee and originally included in SB 171,
which remains pending in the Senate Economic Development and Tourism Commi ee. DCSD
requests that the language authorizing local legisla on be placed back in SB 171.

Public School Employees Re rement System (PSERS)
The State should support a sustainable re rement program for all employees under the Public-
School Employees Re rement System (PSERS), especially for school district bus drivers, and
custodial, maintenance, and food service personnel. The fact that there is such a large disparity
between the Teachers Re rement System (TRS) and PSERS gives the appearance that there are
two classes of employees. DCSD provides a significant matching to 403b (more than any other
system) which is only for PSERS employees and not TRS. This makes up some of the difference.
However, to truly make this sustainable DCSD requests the law be amended to allow employees
under PSERS to par cipate in TRS.

Expedi ng of Permi ng for School District Capital Improvement Projects
DCSD requests the General Assembly require municipal and county permi ng offices to
provide expedited service to school district applica ons for capital improvement projects.
Specifically, require an ini al response to applica ons within ten business days; plan revision
responses within an addi onal five business days; and inspec ons to occur within two business
days of any required applica on/plan revisions, such inspec on may be conducted by a registered
third-party inspector at the discre on and expense of the school district. If the local government
fails to comply with the required me frames the submi ed plans shall be automa cally
approved.

Pay increase for DeKalb Board of Educa on Members
The DeKalb Board of Educa on requests that state lawmakers consider legisla on to give
DeKalb Board of Educa on members a pay raise. The current pay level is $18, 000 plus a $450
per diem/mtg. A pay increase from $18,000 to $30,000 would ensure that the posi on of board
member remains a rac ve to commi ed and capable individuals interested in becoming future
members of the board.