What SC school boards get paid the most? Check out our database
As of 2023, South Carolina was one of 37 states that permitted school board members to be paid, and one of 15 states that did not cap board member compensation, according to an Education Week report.
But just because school board members in South Carolina can be paid, doesn’t mean they are.
Board members in nearly 40% of the state’s traditional public school districts are unpaid, according to The State’s analysis of school board policies.
Among those that are compensated, their pay and their pay structures vary widely.
Some South Carolina school board members make as little as $25 per meeting, while others earn the equivalent of more than 30 times that. Large districts tend to pay more than small districts, on average, but there are numerous exceptions.
Lexington County School District 1, for example, ranks sixth in the state by enrollment but doesn’t pay its board members. Fairfield County School District, on the other hand, serves barely 2,000 students, but has some of the highest-compensated board members in the state.
The lack of uniformity in board pay stems at least partially from the patchwork quilt of laws that govern school board compensation in the state.
While some boards are bound solely by the permissive state law governing school board compensation and can set their own pay, others follow more restrictive “local” laws that apply only to them and must get legislative approval to change their compensation.
If you’re interested in what school board members in your home district make, check out The State’s database, compiled through a review of local board policies and annual compensation information collected by the South Carolina School Boards Association.
This story was originally published December 22, 2025 at 5:00 AM with the headline "What SC school boards get paid the most? Check out our database."