Horry school board passes preliminary budget. Here's what's in it

Horry County Schools is constructing two new buildings and expanding Aynor Middle School at an estimated cost of $40.5 million as part of its new $682.5 million comprehensive budget.

The board voted Monday to solicit qualifications from architects to complete the work building a new alternative school to replace the Horry County Education Center, a new building to house the transportation, records and science kit departments, and to expand Aynor Middle School.

If the board decides to pursue more projects on the district’s five-year capital plan wish list, board members may have to hold a referendum asking the public permission to issue bonds.

The budget

The board passed a preliminary reading of the budget Monday, and will have to vote again for final approval before the end of June.

Right now, the budget includes a state-mandated 1 percent raise for teachers that would permanently change the school district’s salary schedule. Teachers in HCS start at a bit over $36,000 but that would increase under the 1 percent increase.

It also includes another state-mandated 2 percent step increase for all teachers, raising teacher pay in the district by 3 percent.

Other mandatory increases in the budget include funding for eight English speakers of other languages instructors, and an $742,000 increase in funding for school resources officers at elementary schools.

Optional expenses approved by the board include a 2 percent pay raise for employees not eligible for a step increase, a 2 percent step increase for non-teacher employees eligible for a pay raise and funding for eight new rehabilitative behavioral health services lead counselors.

The district currently employs 69 RBHS counselors and also uses the Waccamaw Center for Mental Mental Health, according to district spokesperson Lisa Bourcier.

“RBHS counselor program basically is trying to assist some of our kids who are dealing with a lot of life issues,” said board member John Poston. “It’s different than guidance counseling. We’ve got a lot of troubled kids in our schools that come from environments that aren’t conducive to learning. And they come to school with a lot of stuff on their plate. While teachers are trying to teach, they’re not always trying to deal some with the other stuff.”

The school board’s human resources committee also has discussed separating bus drivers from other employees in their pay grade because of the extra licensing and drug-testing requirements. Drivers currently start at $12 per hour.

“I believe bus drivers have more responsibility,” board member David Cox said last week. “That bus is responsible for picking up and carrying the students twice a day. He is in charge personally of transportation for a cumulative total of over 200 kids a day.”

A bus driver pay increase of 75 cents for starting drivers could cost between $532,000 and $678,000 depending on how the district rolls it out among drivers with multiple years of experience. The board also could increase driver pay by $1 per hour instead of the 75 cents, although a separate bus driver pay raise wasn't included in the budget's first reading.

“If we want to attract a bus driver from another area, we need to pay them more,” said board member Holly Heniford. “Nobody in that grading has to have a specific type of license or the responsibility that a bus driver has.”

The school board will have to vote one more time to give final approval of the budget by the end of June and may amend it before final reading.

Christian Boschult, 843-626-0218, @TSN_Christian

This story was originally published May 21, 2018 at 9:43 PM with the headline "Horry school board passes preliminary budget. Here's what's in it."