The Greenville County Schools Board of Trustees gave unanimous approval to the proposed FY 22 General Fund Budget Tuesday night after the second reading of the budget at a Special Called Meeting. The proposal, which funds the general operating costs of the district such as most salaries, utilities, maintenance, and instructional costs, totals $714.7 million, but does not call for a tax increase. Additional revenue needed to meet the proposed budget will primarily be provided by the increasing value of a local mill, a $10 million increase in state funding, indirect cost transfers from Special Revenue Funds, and the use of $14.7 million in General Fund fund balance, generated from underspending the budget in past years.
Since the approval of Act 388 in 2006, school districts no longer receive operational property taxes from owner-occupied homes. As a result, local revenue is primarily generated by property taxes levied on business, industry, and vehicles.
Notable new expenditures in the budget include:
- A step increase for all teachers (including local supplement) FY 21/FY 22 – $15,170,000
- Increase entry-level teacher compensation to $41,500 – $365,000
- 2% raise for all other (non-teaching) personnel – $6,493,000
- An increase to the employer’s contribution rate to state retirement – $6,173,000
- Personnel to open Fountain Inn High School (fall of 2021) – $2,153,000
Other proposed expenditures include a modification to the bus driver salary schedule ($557,000), and increase to the bus driver safety bonus ($365,000), additional workdays for school nurses ($221,000), and 12.2 additional full-time positions to hire teachers for multi-lingual learners (10.2) and school psychologists (2.0). The proposed budget also includes $2million in budget reductions.
A complete list of proposed new expenditures and reductions is available below:
Potential Expenditures Due to State Mandates: The items shown below are mandated through legislation and total $19,442,000.
| Teacher Salary Step | $12,069,000 |
| Teacher Certificate Upgrades (i.e. bachelors to masters) | 1,200,000 |
| State Retirement Employee Contribution Rate Increase | 6,173,000 |
| Total | $19,442,000 |
Additional Expenditures under Consideration: The following items totaling $16.9 million reflect priorities needed to meet local requirements of the Education Plan for FY 22.
| Teachers for Multi-Lingual Learners | $806,000 |
| School Psychologists | 166,000 |
| Fountain Inn High School Teacher Allocation (To open fall 2021) | 2,153,000 |
| Roper Mountain Science Center Environment Science and Sustainability Center | 40,000 |
| Greenville Alternative Teacher Education (GATE) Program | 162,000 |
| Career Center Certifications | 30,000 |
| Increase in Local Supplement of Teacher Salary Schedule (True 2% increase) | 2,682,000 |
| Increase Entry-Level Teacher Compensation | 365,000 |
| Increase in Local Supplement to Add Step to Teacher Salary Schedule | 419,000 |
| Increase for Support Salary Schedules | 6,493,000 |
| District Float Nurse | 56,000 |
| Fountain Inn High School Support Personnel | 886,000 |
| Bus Driver Compensation | 330,000 |
| Bus Driver Salary Schedule Modification | 557,000 |
| Increase Bus Drive Safety and Attendance Bonus Amount from $5/day to $10/day | 365,000 |
| Hourly Support Salary Schedule Modification | 703,000 |
| Other Workgroup Salary Implications | 190,000 |
| Reclassify and add Five Days for School Nurse Positions | 221,000 |
| Implementation of Weekly Payroll Cycle (includes 1.0 FTE) | 171,000 |
| Athletic Fields and Grounds/FIHS and MS Athletic Fields | 27,000 |
| Increase Supply Funding for Building Services/Maintenance/Grounds | 105,000 |
| Total | $16,927,000 |
Reduction in Expenditures: The administration is proposing the following reductions to the General Fund Budget, totaling $2,015,000.
| COVID-19 Additional Cleaning/Disinfecting Costs | ($1,500,000) |
| Health Employer Contribution from Prior Year | ($515,000) |
| Total | ($2,015,000) |
Total Proposed Budget – $714,772,000
