Greenville County Schools hold first reading of FY25 general fund budget; district proposes $2,700 teacher step, 3.8‑mill operational ask

Greenville County Schools trustees on May 8 received the administration’s first reading of the FY25 general fund budget, which recommends a $2,700 across‑the‑board increase to each teacher salary step, a series of raises and step adjustments for non‑teacher employees, and a 3.8‑mill operational tax draw from available carryover mills to cover growth and inflation.

Doctor Royster, presenting the budget to the board, told trustees that projecting revenue this year has been unusually difficult because of state funding changes and shifting local millage patterns. "This has been one of the most difficult years that we have experienced in projecting revenue," he said, while also pointing to strong academic indicators — including increased graduation rates, National Merit semifinalists and significant scholarship offers — as justification for prioritizing personnel.

The recommended personnel changes include adding a 36th step to the teacher salary schedule, a $2,700 increase per step (raising the starting salary for first‑year teachers to $50,503), and a minimum 3.5% increase for employees paid on non‑teacher step schedules. The administration said the teacher changes yield an average teacher increase of roughly 5.5% when step movement and the new step are included.

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