Richland School District 2 board adopts budget priorities amid uncertainty over millage and state aid

The Richland School District 2 Board of Trustees on May 27 adopted the district's 2025-26 budget priorities as presented by Superintendent Elizabeth Moore, voting to accept the order of priorities after a 5-2 roll call.

The vote came after an update from senior chief financial officer Nancy Williams that the Senate version of the state budget would increase the district's projected revenue by about $10,100,000 compared with fiscal year 2025. "Based upon the senate version of the budget, we're anticipating $10,100,000 in additional revenue over the fiscal year 25 amount," Williams told the board during her presentation.

Why it matters: board members debated how to use uncertain new revenue, whether to plan for a millage increase the county must approve, and how to prioritize recurring items such as salaries and school safety. Superintendent Moore and staff told trustees the district cannot rely on borrowing fund balance for recurring costs. "We cannot borrow from fund balance this year. Fund balance is for non reoccurring cost," Moore said during discussion of contingency plans.

Most important facts first: Williams explained the difference between House and Senate budget approaches and noted a roughly $600,000 variance in projected health insurance support depending on which chamber's numbers are used. The Senate analysis uses the 135-day student count; the House used the 45-day count, producing different state aid estimates. Williams also showed how a no-millage scenario would fund only the highest-priority items (items 1'6 on the district list), while a millage increase would allow the district to fund additional priorities indicated in the presentation's color-coded plan.

Board debate centered on two funding questions: whether to add positions or services now and whether to ask Richland County Council for a millage increase. Board members asked what would happen if the county did not approve the millage; Williams and Moore said the district would fund only the priorities that can be covered without additional millage and would look to cost reductions and nonrecurring funds for other items. Moore also reminded the board that last year the district used fund-balance transfers and had a plan to repay that borrowing over five years; that payback is not reflected in the current draft.

School resource officer request: During debate, Dr. Cassandra Elkins moved to add a full-time school resource officer (SRO) at Pinnacle Point; the motion was seconded and the board voted. The motion failed 3-4. A prior motion to add both an SRO at Pinnacle Point and a second SRO at Blythewood Academy also failed earlier in the same discussion.

Next steps and context: Williams and Moore said the state House and Senate must reconcile budget figures in conference committee; the district does not yet have final figures from the South Carolina Department of Education. Moore and staff will return with updated numbers and with a recommended final order of priorities if the board changes direction after receipt of final state and county millage decisions.

For the public: trustees reiterated that if additional funds become available after state and county actions, the board can re-order priorities; however, the board also stressed that recurring expenses such as salaries cannot be covered by one-time fund balance transfers.