First Reading of Proposed FY26 GCS General Fund Budget
No Millage Increase Recommended
The Greenville County Schools Administration presented information regarding the FY26 General Fund Budget for first reading to the Board of Trustees today. A second and final reading is scheduled for Monday, June 2, at 6:30 p.m. A public hearing at 6:00 p.m. will provide an opportunity for community members to comment on the budget proposal preceding that meeting.
A major focus of the budget is to increase salaries for existing employees to remain competitive in recruiting and retaining the best personnel in all positions. Recognizing that inflation and current overall economic conditions are affecting our employees as well as the taxpayers (many of whom are also our employees), the District Administration did not recommend any increase in the millage rate. This would be the fourth time in 11 years that GCS has not raised millage.
The District Administration shared three potential recommendations for salary increases within the FY26 General Fund Budget, dependent on the outcome of multiple considerations in the General Assembly related to the state’s budget.
- Absent a positive outcome of those considerations, the District’s recommendation will be a salary step movement with an increase to each step by $1,050 for teachers, the addition of a 37th step, and a step increase or 2% increase for all other employees, whichever is greater.
- If the unfunded state mandate extending paid parental leave from six weeks to 12 is removed from the state budget, the administration will likely be able to increase the recommendation for the teacher pay raise to $1,250 and maintain the 2% increase for all other employees with no millage increase.
- If the allocation of new funding from State Aid to Classrooms is adjusted to address the current tremendous inequity in the distribution of new state funds between traditional public school districts and charter districts, it is possible the District may be able to recommend a $1,400 teacher pay raise as well as a 2.4% increase for other employees with no change to the millage rate.
If any of the above recommendations are made by the District Administration and approved by the Board, the salary increase for all employees would be effective July 1, 2025 and will have a recurring impact on the General Fund Budget.
“This information presented today reflects a priority by Greenville County Schools to attract and retain the highest quality teachers and staff in an increasingly competitive environment,” said Dr. W. Burke Royster, Superintendent of Greenville County Schools. “We know that the quality of teachers and staff within our schools has a direct impact on the achievement of our students, and we must remain competitive and continue to invest in our students’ success.”
First Reading of Proposed FY26 GCS General Fund Budget – Financial Summary
Projected Revenue – Local Funding: Current local tax millage for the General Fund is 158.2. Per Act 388, no taxes are collected on owner-occupied homes to support the General Fund budget, but School Boards can raise millage on other property (businesses, cars, motorcycles, etc.) based on a formula built to meet inflation and population growth. Based on this formula, the GCS Board has the authority to raise millage 8.8 mills to meet inflation and growth for next year. Additionally, the Board has at its disposal an additional 34 mills in carryover from previous years, bringing the total taxing authority available for FY26 to 42.8 mills. Of those mills available to the Board, 7.7 are left over from FY23 and will lapse if not levied this year, due to a three-year expiration period included in the law. In recognition that inflation and current overall economic conditions are affecting our employees as well as the taxpayers (many of whom are also our employees), the District administration is not including a proposed increase in millage in the FY26 budget. This would be the fourth time in 11 years that GCS has not raised millage. The proposed FY26 General Fund Budget projects local revenue of $345,978,000.
Projected Revenue – State Funding: The state appropriations bill has not yet been finalized. The SC House and Senate each have their own versions, and it is expected that both bodies will work toward a final compromise bill. The projected revenue from the state included in the first reading of the FY26 General Fund Budget is $612,513,000.
Projected Transfers In – The projected reimbursement for indirect costs for administering federally funded programs for FY26 is $3,654,000.
General Fund – Fund Balance – $0: The Administration is not recommending use of Fund Balance in FY26.
Potential Expenditures Due to State Mandates: These items are mandated through legislation.
- Teacher Salary Step
- Teacher Certificate Upgrades
- State Health Employer Contribution Increase
- Paid Parental Leave
Additional Expenditures Under Consideration: The following items reflect priorities needed to meet local requirements of the Education Plan.
- Increases Associated with Student Growth
- Reedy Laurel Elementary School (36.75 FTE)
- Special Education Teachers (10.0 FTE)
- Secondary MLP Curriculum Consumables
- Teacher Salary Schedule Increase
- Add Step 37 to Teacher Salary Schedule
- Adjust Special Education Aide Salary Scale
- Special Education Aides Additional Days
- Behavior Specialists (2.0 FTE)
- International Teacher Fees
- Peer Evaluator Stipend
- Non-Teacher Salary Schedules Step Movement
- 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 (move from Title IV)
- Utility Cost Increase
- District Property/Liability Insurance Premiums
- Cost Increases for Existing Service/Supply Contracts
Minimum Total Potential Budget Expenditures – Based on three potential recommendations for salary increases within the FY26 General Fund Budget, which are dependent on the outcome of multiple considerations in the General Assembly related to the state’s budget, and the list of proposed expenditures above, the minimum potential budget expenditure total is $962,145,000, with no recommended tax increase necessary.
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