ATLANTA — Bus drivers and other frontline employees with Atlanta Public Schools (APS) are celebrating a double-digit pay raise just in time for the new school year.

The district announced plans to increase salaries by 10% for all bus drivers, custodians, and paraprofessionals. Registered nurses will receive an extra 1%, and licensed practical nurses will get an additional 2%.

District leaders say the pay hikes were made possible through a re-prioritization of budgeted dollars for Fiscal Year 2026. It’s a $9.3 million investment.

Derrick Grant, a former Frito-Lay driver entering his third year as an APS bus operator, says the raise is more than just a financial boost, it’s a sign of respect.

“We’re just grateful that they do acknowledge what we do and the importance that we have in the everyday learning experience for the kids. We appreciate it,” he said.

Grant says while safety is drivers’ obvious top priority, there is a close second for him: being able to act as a sort of mentor behind the wheel. Keeping order on the bus translates into the more focused, respectful way the students carry themselves once they step out of it, he believes.

“What happens on the bus reflects what they do in school, too,” Grant says. ”They’ll open up to me about things that happened at school, even about things that happened in their home. I think that helps them a lot.”

Last year, APS teachers received a similar double-digit raise of 11%. Now, the district says it’s proud to extend that recognition to the frontline staff who help keep classrooms, cafeterias, and campuses operating.

With just two weeks until the start of school, employees like Grant say the timing couldn’t be better.

“I know sometimes the budgets can get tight; everything is going up,” says Grant. “But for them to reach back and dig down and find a few coins to give us and to show how much they appreciate the things that we do, we’re grateful for that.”

WSB Radio’s Veronica Water’s contributed to this story.