Greenville County Schools passed its $789 million fiscal year 2023 general fund budget with a 9-1 vote, with all school employees getting some kind of raise.
Teachers will see a $2,000 increase to their salaries, which will keep Greenville County Schools as one of the top-paying districts in the state, Superintendent Burke Royster said.
Teachers will also receive a step increase, meaning an increase to the incremental raises each teacher receives year over year, with a step added for those at the top of the pay scale.
The district will increase teachers’ base pay to $44,566. Hourly workers’ base pay will start at $15, and those already employed can expect at least a 3% raise.
“The investment is heavily in people,” Royster said.
Expenditures
Notable new expenditures in the budget include:
- $2,000 increase to every cell on the GCS teacher salary schedule, which results in entry-level teacher salaries starting at $44,566.
- A step increase for all teachers and adding a step for teachers at the top of the schedule.
- All other eligible employees receive a step. If the step is not valued at a minimum of 3%, it will be adjusted to equal a 3% pay increase. Employees not eligible for a step receive a 3% pay increase.
- Minimum entry-level pay for all district jobs starting at $15.00/hour.
- Final step of a multi-step process to move bus driver salary schedule to two rates.
- Addressing the internal inequities of principal pay and external competitiveness of assistant principal pay.
- First step of a multi-step process to decrease the student to counselor ratio at the elementary level to 400:1.
- Personnel for growth to meet the estimated increase of 1,200 students next school year.
- Funding to meet the required employer costs related to healthcare and retirement for employees.
- Funding to further enhance school security measures.
- The expansion of the A.R.M.E.S. program.
Source: Greenville County Schools
Millage goes up 2%
The millage rate will increase 4.5 mills to 147.7 mills, which will still put the millage rates just below where they were for FY21. A mill is equal to $1 of tax per $1,000 in assessed value. Someone who owns a 2010 Honda Accord, for example, will expect to pay $25.26 this year who paid $25.78 in taxes last year.
The millage increase amounts to a 2% increase overall and is expected to cover any state funding that may not be there for FY23. Royster promised there’d be “very minimal” impact to individuals and businesses.
Two competing visions in the statehouse
Lawmakers in the S.C. Legislature are still working out a new format for school funding, and there are two competing versions of the school-funding bill that could affect the district by as much as $10 million.
The Senate version will leave the district $7 million short of its funding goals, thereby necessitating the millage increase, while the House version leaves the district with a $2.3 million surplus. Royster said it’s likely the Legislature will pass the Senate version, and they’ve been working from that scenario.
“I’m not comfortable approving things today (without knowing the state’s current funding will be),” Trustee Sarah Dulin said. She was the lone no vote for the budget.
“I’m happy to see we’ve included all our employees,” Trustee Carolyn Styles said. “It says we care about you — we support you.”