By: Jeremy Handel, Staff Writer
In a unanimous vote, the Spartanburg County School District Four Board of Trustees approved the proposed $28 million operating budget for the 2022-2023 fiscal year at a budget hearing on June 27.
Assistant Superintendent of Business and Finance Chris Benfield presented the budget, the annual budgets for debt service, and the district’s portion of the R.D. Anderson, McCarthy-Teszler, and Spartanburg County Alternative School.
The district’s operating budget, which covers all costs to run the school district for the year, increased approximately 8.9 percent, or about $2.3 million, over last year, mostly due to increases in salaries and benefits for all employees. Employee costs make up about 85 percent of the budget.
In accordance with new state mandates for teacher salary increases, the district is increasing each step on the teacher pay scale by $2,260. Teachers will receive that increase and their normal step increase if they are eligible.
Bus driver pay will increase by 10 percent, which was also mandated by the state. All other employees will receive a 4 – 4.5 percent increase. Employee benefits are increasing by 18 percent and retirement fund contributions by 1 percent.
Benfield told Trustees that the district would need to cover approximately $1.4 million in debt service this year. The amount will primarily be covered by funds from a regular bond the district issues annually for debt service and maintenance.
The budgets for R.D. Anderson, McCarthy-Teszler, and the alternative school all increased slightly due to salary and benefits increases.
The District Four Board of Trustees meets on the first Monday of every month at 6 p.m. at the district office. The meetings are open to the public. The Board does not hold a meeting in July. The next meeting will be on Monday, August 1.
Author: Tracy Sanders
