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Greenville County Schools staff present preliminary FY27 budget with raises, FTE realignment and special‑ed investments
Summary
District staff told the board the FY27 general fund recommendation is balanced, adds $2,450 to each teacher salary step (plus a new step 38), gives a 3.25% increase to most non‑teacher employees, holds 25 FTEs for shifting enrollment and includes $15.5 million in formula‑driven FTE adjustments; staff warned revenue pressures from FELO changes and Act 388 remain.
Greenville County Schools staff presented a preliminary FY27 general fund budget to the Board of Trustees that officials said is balanced but constrained by state and county revenue shifts. The administration recommended a $2,450 add to every teacher salary step (with an added step 38 for the most experienced teachers) and a 3.25% increase for non‑teacher staff, while aligning staffing to enrollment by recognizing $15.5 million in FTE adjustments.
"So the biggest focus dollar wise, the biggest focus is enhanced pay," Dr. Royster said, framing the proposal as an investment in workforce retention and student outcomes. The superintendent and finance staff pointed to sustained district gains—graduation rates at a historic high and increases in industry certifications—as justification for prioritizing compensation and supports.
Robin Stack, the district’s chief executive officer, walked trustees through the revenue assumptions that underpin the draft budget, saying the three principal revenue streams are local property tax, state funding and transfers in. Stack told the board the FY27 preliminary state education funding formula revenue projection is $430,224,000 and listed smaller line items for health‑insurance allocations and retiree insurance surcharges.
Staff described several targeted local priorities in Section 2 of the budget packet, including 15 permanent substitute positions to be placed at schools with the lowest substitute‑fill rates ($706,000), added behavior specialists and special‑education aides, 15 mental‑health counselors transitioned from an expiring grant to the general fund ($698,000), and bus Wi‑Fi costs now moved to the general fund after a loss of federal E‑Rate eligibility ($335,000).
Officials emphasized that the $15.5 million personnel adjustment is a formula alignment to lower enrollment, not mass layoffs: "We're not cutting any people; they just may have a different job in a different place," Royster said. Staff said the budget holds roughly 25 FTEs in reserve to accommodate unexpected shifts during hiring and placement.
Board members pressed for detail on implementation: how permanent substitutes will be assigned, how mental‑health caseloads will be balanced (staff estimated 45–60 students per counselor), and what the district will do about special‑education recruitment. Stephanie Thomas, director of budget services, said the packet includes appendices with formulas, salary schedules and personnel allocation tables and that trustees will receive written responses to follow‑up questions before first reading.
The administration presented preliminary estimates showing revenue in excess of expenditures of roughly $434,000, but officials cautioned that unfunded or underfunded state mandates could quickly change that picture. The board set a first reading of the general fund budget for Tuesday, May 5 at 9:00 a.m. at the central office.
