Greenville Co. Schools approve nearly $1Billion budget
GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) – The Greenville County Schools Board of Trustees unanimously approved the proposed FY 26 General Fund Budget Monday night.
School officials confirmed with 7NEWS that the FY 26 budget is balanced, as required by policy, and reflects revenue and expenditures totaling $962,992,000.
Officials said for the fourth time in 11 years that there is no millage increase; since this is a reassessment year, the total millage will be reduced by the provisions of statutes governing reassessment.
According to the school district, the budget is based on favorable developments in the state's FY 2025-2026 budget and includes updates to state aid to classrooms, employee insurance, and retiree insurance.
The projected revenue also reflects the assurance provided this fiscal year by Greenville County not to remove existing FILOT revenue from that previously committed to the district.
Officials said a major focus of the budget is to increase salaries for teachers and employees to address inflation while remaining competitive in recruiting & retaining the best personnel in all positions.
The budget also includes a $1,300 addition to every cell on the GCS teacher salary schedule.
All other eligible employees will receive a step, school officials said. If the step is not valued at a minimum of 2.4%, it will be adjusted to equal a 2.4% increase.
Employees not eligible for a step will receive a 2.4% increase.
Expenditures – Notable new expenditures, according to GCS, in the budget include:
$1,300 Increase to Every Cell on the GCS Teacher Salary Schedule
A Step Increase for All Teachers
A Step or Minimum 2.4% Increase for All Eligible Non-teaching Employees
Funding for Student Growth
Opening of Reedy Laurel Elementary School (36.75 FTE)
Special Education Teachers (10.0 FTE)
Special Education Aide Salary Scale Adjustment and Additional Days
Behavior Specialists (2.0 FTE)
Bus Driver Compensation for Years of Experience
Mental Health Counselors (48.0 FTE)
Custodians for Increased Square Footage (6.5 FTE)
Bus GPS Management Tool Subscription
Utility Cost Increase
District Property/Liability Insurance Premiums
Cost Increases for Existing Service/Supply Contracts
A complete list of new expenditures, according to GCS, is available below:
Expenditures Due to State Mandates: The items shown below are mandated through legislation.
Teacher Salary Step
$6,802,000
Teacher Certificate Upgrades
1,321,000
State Health Employer Contribution Rate Increase of 11.8% (July – December 2025)
3,396,000
State Health Employer Contribution Rate Increase of 4.6% (January – June 2026)
2,122,000
Total
$13,641,000
Additional Expenditures: The following items reflect priorities needed to meet local requirements of the Education Plan for FY 26.
Increases Associated with Student Growth
$1,088,000
Reedy Laurel Elementary School (36.75 FTE)
2,919,000
Special Education Teachers (10.0 FTE)
965,000
Secondary MLP Curriculum Consumables
83,000
Teacher Salary Schedule Increase of $1,300
9,598,000
Add Step 37 to Teacher Salary Schedule
190,000
Adjust Special Education Aide Salary Scale
506,000
Special Education Aides Additional Days (3 days)
289,000
Behavior Specialists (2.0 FTE)
266,000
International Teacher Fees
207,000
Peer Evaluator Stipend
160,000
Non-Teacher Salary Schedules Step Movement – Minimum 2.4%
6,675,000
Bus Driver Compensation for Years of Experience
85,000
Mental Health Counselors (48.0 FTE)
1,484,000
Custodians for Increased Square Footage (6.5 FTE)
340,000
Bus GPS Management Tool Subscription
114,000
Utility Cost Increase
237,000
District Property/Liability Insurance Premiums
965,000
Cost Increases for Existing Service/Supplies
924,000
Total
$27,095,000
Total Proposed Budget: $962,992,000
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Guilford County Schools bond dollars will only get half of priority projects done
GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) — Think back to 2020 and 2022 when you had a question on your ballot about bond dollars for the school district. Voters approved $2 billion for Guilford County Schools to make massive and much-needed updates to its facilities. The master plan came out in 2019. Those were pre-pandemic prices. But now, in 2025, things have changed, and there is no way the district will get all 51 of their top priority projects done with the cash they have on hand. 'The writing was kind of on the wall,' Superintendent of GCS Dr. Whitney Oakley said. She said when they returned from the pandemic, they knew this would be tricky, but in the 2021 to 2022 school year, it really sunk in that this is the new reality of pricing. 'No one had a crystal ball about construction. I can't go to Lowe's and get a piece of wood or go to the gas station and fill up for what it cost in 2019,' Oakley said. Now, with tariffs on the table, pricing is even more unpredictable. 'We are constantly evaluating how far those dollars will go, how we can use some strategies like replicating a building plan … If you think about the Allen Jay and Sumner that are coming up, they have the same layout, which saves in design,' Oakley said. In the 2019 facilities master plan, there are 51 priority projects listed to use the bond dollars. But because of rising costs, Oakley said they won't get very far down that list with the $2 billion. There are four projects no longer needed, so Oakley expects they will make it to about halfway down to project 25 on the list, which leaves about 25 projects in limbo. 'It was decades in the making, and it is going to take decades to get out … I think we need to think about how we make a more predictable stream to be able to continue to do the work because the buildings didn't get in that condition overnight,' Oakley said. It starts with the ballot. Oakley said she wants to see bond referendums more often to keep cash flowing. 'I think putting energy and resources behind being able to say what dollars are for on the ballot increases transparency, increases accountability, and our community stands behind public education,' Oakley said. You can look at the list of priority projects to see if your school's project could be funded. Today, everything before project 25 should be funded. With tariff impacts, that could change. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Greenville Co. Schools approve nearly $1Billion budget
GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) – The Greenville County Schools Board of Trustees unanimously approved the proposed FY 26 General Fund Budget Monday night. School officials confirmed with 7NEWS that the FY 26 budget is balanced, as required by policy, and reflects revenue and expenditures totaling $962,992,000. Officials said for the fourth time in 11 years that there is no millage increase; since this is a reassessment year, the total millage will be reduced by the provisions of statutes governing reassessment. According to the school district, the budget is based on favorable developments in the state's FY 2025-2026 budget and includes updates to state aid to classrooms, employee insurance, and retiree insurance. The projected revenue also reflects the assurance provided this fiscal year by Greenville County not to remove existing FILOT revenue from that previously committed to the district. Officials said a major focus of the budget is to increase salaries for teachers and employees to address inflation while remaining competitive in recruiting & retaining the best personnel in all positions. The budget also includes a $1,300 addition to every cell on the GCS teacher salary schedule. All other eligible employees will receive a step, school officials said. If the step is not valued at a minimum of 2.4%, it will be adjusted to equal a 2.4% increase. Employees not eligible for a step will receive a 2.4% increase. Expenditures – Notable new expenditures, according to GCS, in the budget include: $1,300 Increase to Every Cell on the GCS Teacher Salary Schedule A Step Increase for All Teachers A Step or Minimum 2.4% Increase for All Eligible Non-teaching Employees Funding for Student Growth Opening of Reedy Laurel Elementary School (36.75 FTE) Special Education Teachers (10.0 FTE) Special Education Aide Salary Scale Adjustment and Additional Days Behavior Specialists (2.0 FTE) Bus Driver Compensation for Years of Experience Mental Health Counselors (48.0 FTE) Custodians for Increased Square Footage (6.5 FTE) Bus GPS Management Tool Subscription Utility Cost Increase District Property/Liability Insurance Premiums Cost Increases for Existing Service/Supply Contracts A complete list of new expenditures, according to GCS, is available below: Expenditures Due to State Mandates: The items shown below are mandated through legislation. Teacher Salary Step $6,802,000 Teacher Certificate Upgrades 1,321,000 State Health Employer Contribution Rate Increase of 11.8% (July – December 2025) 3,396,000 State Health Employer Contribution Rate Increase of 4.6% (January – June 2026) 2,122,000 Total $13,641,000 Additional Expenditures: The following items reflect priorities needed to meet local requirements of the Education Plan for FY 26. Increases Associated with Student Growth $1,088,000 Reedy Laurel Elementary School (36.75 FTE) 2,919,000 Special Education Teachers (10.0 FTE) 965,000 Secondary MLP Curriculum Consumables 83,000 Teacher Salary Schedule Increase of $1,300 9,598,000 Add Step 37 to Teacher Salary Schedule 190,000 Adjust Special Education Aide Salary Scale 506,000 Special Education Aides Additional Days (3 days) 289,000 Behavior Specialists (2.0 FTE) 266,000 International Teacher Fees 207,000 Peer Evaluator Stipend 160,000 Non-Teacher Salary Schedules Step Movement – Minimum 2.4% 6,675,000 Bus Driver Compensation for Years of Experience 85,000 Mental Health Counselors (48.0 FTE) 1,484,000 Custodians for Increased Square Footage (6.5 FTE) 340,000 Bus GPS Management Tool Subscription 114,000 Utility Cost Increase 237,000 District Property/Liability Insurance Premiums 965,000 Cost Increases for Existing Service/Supplies 924,000 Total $27,095,000 Total Proposed Budget: $962,992,000 Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Yahoo
News 19's Tamika Alexander sits down with Representative Rex Reynolds
(WHNT) — With only one month left in the 2025 Legislative Session in Montgomery, News 19's Tamika Alexander spoke with Rex Reynolds, who has big plans for Alabama. Reynolds plays a key role in overseeing the state's budget, serving as the House Chair of the Ways and Means General Fund Committee. Man from Arab dies following hatchet attack in Arizona Over the last few months, Reynolds, along with other state lawmakers, have been debating bills including gambling, grocery tax and Medicaid expansion. 'My year stats long before the session, but you know, you're meeting with associations that they're typically in the General Fund Budget, but then you're meeting with the department heads, understanding their budget needs,' Reynolds said. 'I work very closely with the Executive Budget Office, or the Governor's Office.' One bill he sponsored has generated plenty of debate. Reynolds' 'Back the Blue' bill provides more protection for police officers by granting them a hearing if they are indicted for any wrongdoing. And in deadly police shooting cases, it gives the officer time to argue that they acted in self-defence much earlier in the process than under the current law. 📲 to stay updated on the go. 📧 to have news sent to your inbox. 'There's been liability protections for law enforcement for over 50 years,' Reynolds said. 'But that bill needed to be upgraded based on a couple of Supreme Court Rulings. So we did all that in that piece of legislation. And I think that just, and I told the members this, it better clarifies when an officer does have coverage and when he does not,' Reynolds said. 'Because if they act within the scope of their duty, then they should have protection. If they act recklessly and outside the scope of their duties, then they shouldn't have protection,' Reynolds said. Reynolds has found that balancing the budget comes with both challenges and cuts. Some lawmakers voiced concerns when they noticed the elimination of funding for line items that included the Magic City Classic, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and the Jazz Hall of Fame. When asked what he had to say to people who feel like it was a race issue with those items being taken out of the budget, Reynolds said, 'It was unfortunate it was taken that way.' 'We're having to be a little tighter in the general fund. And so those items, we're just left out, you know, and it was considered to be a racial thing because there were many more, I think I think one line item right below that is, is a black women's mental health line item that was funded.' Reynolds said the Senate budget chairman, Greg Albritton, has assured him that those items will be restored to the budget. Meanwhile, something that won't be restored is the overtime pay tax break that expires in June. This exemption applies to full-time, hourly-wage employees who work more than 40 hours in a week. But Reynolds said the state can't afford to continue it. 'That was a great bill when it went passed its first time, and in fact, I co-sponsored that bill with minority leader, Anthony Daniels. But this time with the package that we've just done, but over $1.2 billion in tax cuts, just this session, we can't do that,' Reynolds said. Alabama became the first state to exempt overtime pay from state income tax. So far, more than 800 bills have been introduced in this session, which is set to wrap up on May 13. The House has already approved the $3.7 billion general fund budget. It now heads to the Senate. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
