DECATUR — More than 250 education jobs in a metro Atlanta school system are safe — for now — after school officials rejected a proposal for layoffs.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that DeKalb County’s school board on Monday rejected the proposal to lay off the employees.

The board directed Superintendent Cheryl Atkinson to find $20 million in cuts elsewhere if employee attrition doesn’t take care of the problem first.

The school system has struggled with its finances for months.

Earlier this summer, the board approved a tax increase that’s expected to raise an additional $14.8 million for the beleaguered system.