At the beginning of this school year, the district’s special education department struggled to attract and retain paraprofessionals.

But the salary increase means a reduction in the total possible number of paraeducators the district can hire and the district will have to determine the best way to work with available resources, Diekhans said.

Of the filled positions, 122 are funded through federal programs, four instructional paraprofessionals are funded by the district’s tax revenues, and 14 elementary student advocate paraprofessionals are funded through ESSER funds, which are education COVID relief funds.

The district has one elementary student advocate and eight paraprofessionals on the federal funding side of the budget, according to the district.

The board voted to approve a 75 cent per hour wage increase for paraprofessionals for the 93 days from Jan. 22 through June 30.

That increase is an estimated cost to the district of $79,758.

Electric: GFPS approves pay increase for paraeducators