District recommends $125,000 classification and compensation study; board asked to add $45,000 from fund balance

The superintendent recommended the district award a compensation and classification study to Educational Planners of Marietta, Georgia, for $125,000 and amend the general fund to provide an additional $45,000 from fund balance at the July 8 consent agenda.

During the June 24 work session, staff said the study will review both salary schedules and classification of non-teaching job descriptions (roughly 120 positions), with the aim of improving internal alignment and external competitiveness. The district received seven proposals; staff said only two vendors met minimum qualifications for prior Georgia K-12 experience and that Educational Planners scored highest on references, work samples and a plan to rewrite non-teaching job descriptions as part of the engagement.

Nut graf: District leaders described the work as a roughly six-month project intended to produce both updated compensation charts and revised job descriptions to guide hiring, placement and retention. Staff recommended the higher-scoring vendor despite a budgeted amount of $80,000, and asked the board to amend the budget to allocate $45,000 from fund balance so the study can proceed.

Cost rationale and timeline: The superintendent said Ed Planners bid $125,000 and the district had originally budgeted $80,000. The study team expects a timeline that would conclude around December'January if approved. Board members asked about the range of proposals and the per-job-description fees quoted by lower-cost vendors; staff explained that some lower-cost bids charged additional per-description fees that could exceed the district's budget once all positions were rewritten.

Ending: The superintendent asked that the award and the budget amendment be placed on the July 8 consent agenda for board action.