Big Budgeting Decisions Affect Charleston County School Board’s Future

Big Budgeting Decisions Affect Charleston County School Board’s Future

In Charleston County, South Carolina, significant decisions on budget allocation for the upcoming 2024-2025 school year are underway. The Charleston County School District’s budget’s first reading is scheduled for just over a month from now, and the board must still make key decisions concerning items included in the budget.

As part of the budget preparation process, three meetings took place on Monday evening: a budget workshop with the Board of Trustees, a Committee of Whole meeting, and a special called meeting. Although these meetings did not conclude with any major decisions, the discussions held during these assemblies are instrumental for the board, especially in a year they have deemed presenting the most challenging budget they have seen in years.

Necessity of Cuts in Programs and Personnel

Owing to the depletion of federal pandemic money, the school district budget for 2024-2025 will require cuts in various programs and positions. This move follows a closed-door executive session meeting held on Monday, where votes confirmed the approval of employee contracts for the next year guided by the contractual obligations and budget allocations for all certified staff members. At this time, the identity of the retained and released employees post-executive session is uncertain.

One of the significant issues that the board must tackle regarding the budget is deciding the fate of approximately 300 staff members paid through federal dollars, a resource bound to vanish shortly.

A Proposed Funding Option

Superintendent Anita Huggins presented more information on a proposed funding option during the meetings. The suggestion under consideration, termed the Weighted Funding Model, aims to allocate resources aptly to aid district schools with a significant population of students in poverty, special education, or multilingual backgrounds.

This $30 million proposition could provide individual students at various schools with funding from the district according to their needs if the board approves it. The requirement for a new funding model partly stems from the fact that the current model cannot address all students in poverty attending non-Title 1 schools.

Discussions on Pay Raises for Teaching and Non-Teaching Staff

The board and its budget are also focusing on the subject of pay raises for both teaching and non-teaching staff. Various proposals are on the table with the Charleston County Teacher Compensation Task Force recommending inclusion of last year’s $5,000 bonus into teachers’ salaries. This move would cost the district around $24 million.

Under consideration are several other potential pay scenarios, all of which necessitate an increase in millage, and therefore, property taxes within Charleston County. Possible scenarios under review include:

• A teacher pay increase of $7,500 necessitating a 3.7 millage increase
• A teacher pay increase of $10,000 requiring a 7.3 millage increase
• A push for classified staff to reach 100% of market value resulting in a 1.1 millage increase

Upcoming Decisions and Key Dates

Board of Trustees Member Pam McKinney enquired with the Chief Financial Officer about the need for a balance in the budget this year. However, she was assured that no millage increase would be necessary in the coming two years for sustainability if a 3.8 millage increase is adopted this year.

A few topics discussed at Monday’s meeting will be forwarded to the Board of Trustees’ meeting on April 29 for a decisive vote. The first draft of the budget will be delivered to the Audit and Finance Committee on May 7.