Dorchester 02 outlines FY26 budget plan, proposes 7.6-mill request to county for teacher pay increase

Dorchester County School District Two staff presented a draft fiscal year 2026 budget focused on teacher pay and classroom instruction and said they plan to ask the county for a 7.6-mill increase to fund pay raises for teachers.

At a public input meeting, a district presenter identified in the meeting as Miss Munier summarized projected revenues and expenditures, proposed salary increases, planned reductions in vacant positions and program changes, and potential impacts from pending state legislation and conference committee actions in Columbia, South Carolina. "We would be asking for 7.6 mills to get us to $295,000,000," Munier said in the meeting, describing the millage request the district will present to Dorchester County Council on May 12.

The district framed the budget around student achievement, with teacher recruitment and retention as the top priority. Munier said the draft includes a $1,500 across-the-board increase to the teacher salary scale (cost estimated at $3.4 million), mandated annual "step" increases for eligible teachers and bus drivers, and a 1% increase for classified staff. The district also outlined an…