The Newberry County Board of Trustees on July 21 approved the superintendent's recommendation to provide step increases for district office administrators and school administrators, and a 2% supplement for athletic coaches. The motion was moved, seconded and approved by voice vote.

Why it matters: Board members said the district is operating with a continuing structural deficit. They discussed earlier budget iterations that showed larger shortfalls and reliance on one‑time federal funds.

What the board heard: Finance staff reported that the district began June with about $30.3 million in the county treasurer's fund, recorded deposits of roughly $5.9 million and credits of about $6.8 million, and ended June with approximately $29.5 million. The general fund portion of that balance was reported at about $21.1 million; federal projects $3.5 million; EIA funds $4.2 million; and other restricted grants about $550,000.

Board members reviewed the budget's recent history in the meeting: a first reading presented a roughly $1.3 million deficit, later reduced to about $649,000 after recommended cuts presented at a June public hearing, and a figure of $527,825 noted at the July meeting before the board approved the recommended pay adjustments. Board members repeatedly cautioned that future state funding, reassessment results and Title I allocations remain uncertain and could worsen the district's fiscal position.

Procurement and special funds noted in the finance report included FY25 emergency procurements totaling $60,673 and sole‑source procurements totaling $353,000. The district reported minority‑owned purchases of about $145,000 for January–June 2025, roughly 3% of procurement dollars in that period. Year‑to‑date expenditures were reported at about $71.6 million (accrual adjustments were in process at the time of the report).

Quotes and attributions: A board member summarized the budget history: “We had our first reading back in May, and the administration presented us a $1,300,000 budget in the red. ... We came back in, and they recommended the cuts for the public hearing ... and on June 9, we came up with a $649,000 deficit ... and we're addressing what to do with that.” Finance staff explained the June cash‑flow and fund balances during the meeting.

Ending: Board members approved the personnel and supplement increases while instructing staff to continue monitoring revenues and report back on fiscal impact; implementation steps were assigned to Human Resources and Finance.