Charleston County Schools to Become First in State with Two Decisive Moves

Charleston County Schools to Become First in State with Two Decisive Moves

In a significant development for South Carolina’s education scene, the Board of Trustees of the Charleston County School District held a discussion on Monday night about the district’s budget for 2024 to 2025. Notably, two budget proposals within this budget could make the district the first in South Carolina to introduce a new funding model and lead in teacher compensation across the state.

Increasing Teacher Salaries and Employee Pay

The proposed increase in teacher salaries by $7,500, in addition to funding step increases, would place the district at the forefront of teacher compensation within South Carolina. The proposed budget also includes pay increases for all non-teaching staff and classified employees, putting them at 100% of the market rate, equating to an overall increase of 6%.

Introduction of Weighted Student Funding Model

One of the most notable expansions in the proposed budget is the implementation of the Weighted Student Funding Model. With a $32.8 million price tag, this model would distribute funding from the district to individual student needs at each school, replacing the sunsetting federal ESSER funds. It aims to fairly distribute resources according to student needs, which would be determined by school principals with the goal of improving outcomes.

Specifically, the model would allow resources to be allocated to schools within the district that have students in poverty, special education, or are multilingual. The current funding model, which excludes students in poverty attending non-Title 1 schools, necessitates this new approach for equitable access to outlets.

Board of Trustees Questions

Board members raised a number of questions about the proposed model during Monday’s budget workshop. The main bone of contention was an estimated total cost of $32 million linking to the proposed funding model. The board expressed its expectation for the correct and updated figures that reflect the fact that students can fall into more than one grouping in the existing model.

Balancing the Budget

To balance the budget, several strategies were proposed. One key strategy includes central office reductions, with the district slated to eliminate over 30 positions amounting to savings of $8 million. Furthermore, a 3.9 millage increase is included in the proposed budget, with a note that future millage increases are not included in the long-range plan.

A millage rate is a tax collected on real estate and large purchases such as cars. However, the increase in tax exempts families that own and live in their homes from bearing the burden for education purposes. The resulting increase predominantly affects non-owner-occupied houses and businesses.

Next Steps

The first reading of this budget, incorporating Monday’s recommendations, will take place at the Board of Trustees meeting on May 20. A second reading, which includes a public hearing and board meeting, is scheduled for June 24.

This budget proposal, along with its potential impacts, is a significant step towards addressing the pressing issues of teacher compensation and student funding and could set a precedent for other districts in South Carolina.