Horry County Schools’ preliminary 2016-17 budget includes teacher raises

Horry County Schools is planning on a similar budget to this current year, but the total numbers are still uncertain because tax revenues from the state have not been calculated.

The Board of Education held its annual budget workshop that provides members with what the district expects to spend on yearly expenses, such as teacher raises, new equipment and additional instructors. John Gardner, chief financial officer, said preliminary numbers account for about $8.5 million in new revenue, but the total of all proposed expenditures is $16.1 million, which leaves a $7.4 million deficit.

“But we haven’t gotten any of our tax information back, and we don’t know what kind of state funds we will receive,” Gardner said.

The district will discuss and plan for the necessities and wishes for the 2016-17 fiscal year – which begins on July 1 – over the next few months. The board will vote on a final budget in June, and there should be several changes to the budget once tax revenue is known, Gardner said.

“This is as bad as it gets – it’s worst-case scenario – but it’ll get better,” Gardner said.

The preliminary numbers do not include costs for five new schools, but Gardner said the district will meet with the Finance Committee and provide those numbers soon.

The district expects more than 800 new students for the 2016-17 school year, so Gardner estimates putting $3.5 million aside for staffing adjustments. Horry County’s population – and school population – has grown tremendously every year, so the district must account for new positions, Gardner said.

Last year the district planned on 1,213 new students, but actual growth was 1,074 students.

About 79 percent of district employees are eligible for a step increase based on their years of experience and position. The district has allocated $3.9 million for step increases, as well as $1.8 million for a salary increase for all employees not eligible for a step increase.

“I can guarantee that the state is going to mandate that teachers get a salary increase next year,” Gardner said. “Sure as I’m standing here, they’re going to mandate it.”

Last year the board approved a 2 percent salary increase for everyone not eligible for a step increase, and before that teachers were granted a 2 percent raise in 2012.

Retirement funding and health insurance policy increases could cost the district another $1.9 million, though the state hasn’t mandated cost increases yet, Gardner said.

The district is also looking to repair high school band equipment, replace 35 automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) and add another six registered nurses for a total $519, 400 from the general fund.

Much of the district’s band equipment is old and in need of repair, but band-aid fixes haven’t solved the district’s problem, said Mary Anderson, chief of human resources.

“It has been many, many years since we’ve increased the supply budget for band. We’ve really neglected it over the years,” Anderson said.

The amount needed for those fixes can change, she said, and the district will reevaluate the costs at the end of the year. Anderson requested $114,000 for repairing and purchasing band equipment.

The proposed 2016-17 budget calls for an additional 11 English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teachers at a recurring cost of $821,403.

The state recommends an ESOL teacher-to-student ratio of one teacher for every sixty students, according to Carolyn Chestnut, chief officer of instructional support services. Currently, the district has one teacher for every 103 students.

Adding 11 teachers will bring that ratio close to one teacher for every 83 students, Chestnut said, which is closer to the state’s recommendation.

“We’re just trying to get close to that number, and year by year we’ll get there,” Chestnut said.

Horry County Schools is also in need of 175 “critical needs teachers,” which includes middle and high English Language Arts, middle and high math, all levels of special education teachers and speech language therapists. Anderson, chief of human resources, is requesting a $3,000 signing bonus for those positions.

“We have an aging workforce, compounded with the fact that our education programs are graduating less students,” Anderson said.

The recurring cost of those bonuses is $525,000.

Neil James, district 10 representative, asked Gardner to prioritize the district’s requests from most to least important in case anything needs to be cut. The board and district will continue discussing the budget over the next few months, before the June 30 deadline.

“I know they’re all important, but we may not be able to do it all,” James said.

This story was originally published February 8, 2016 at 8:20 PM with the headline "Horry County Schools’ preliminary 2016-17 budget includes teacher raises."