Superintendent outlines proposed salary-schedule changes, estimates roughly $1.6 million investment

Kershaw County School Board of Trustees — At a March 4 meeting, Superintendent Miss Willard reviewed recent state budget developments and presented a district salary-schedule study that would change pay schedules across multiple classifications and cost the district an estimated $1.6 million.

Willard told the board the Ways and Means Committee version of the state budget included an additional roughly $112,000,000 in state aid, which the superintendent reported as $80,000,000 in general fund and $32,000,000 in EIA funding; she said the proposal would raise the state teacher minimum schedule by $1,500 per cell, moving the minimum from $47,000 to about $48,500. "So those are the big key items we want to be aware of as we move into the budget process," Willard said.

The district study, Willard said, examined changes by schedule rather than individual employees and included estimated fringe costs. Highlights she presented included: secretaries (impacting an estimated 65–70 FTEs; average change across the schedule about $3,089; estimated cost ~$272,000); media clerks (≈17 FTEs; average change ~$2,542–$2,832; est. ~$60,000); instructional assistants (a large group with an estimated investment of ~$642,000); maintenance (proposal to create a three-tier career path — master, specialist and apprentice — affecting about 20 FTEs); technology (proposal for lead technician classification, about 17 affected employees; lead tech avg. change a little over $3,500; est. ~$45,000); health-room aides (≈17 FTEs; proposed increase in work days from 180 to 183 for consideration); and school nutrition (about 90 FTEs; USDA-funded schedule changes with an estimated ~$440,000 impact). Willard summarized the totals as approximately $1,182,000 from the general fund and about $440,000 from USDA/food-service funds, for a combined investment a little over $1,600,000.

Willard emphasized the board was not being asked to vote on these changes tonight. "We're not asking for a vote on these tonight nor as we bring individual sections to you, but we want to make those part of the budget as we propose that later on come May and June," she said. She also noted certain categories — teachers and bus drivers — are constrained by the state appropriations bill and will require legislative clarification before local action.

Board members praised the methodical approach. A trustee (S9) thanked administration for the study and said the targeted, cell-by-cell work was important to bring employees closer to a living wage. Several trustees noted the study creates career-path opportunities and aligns district schedules with recruitment goals.

Next steps: the superintendent said the administration will continue to refine schedules and bring formal proposals and cost details as the local budget is prepared in May and June; teachers' and bus drivers' schedules will depend on final state action.