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Rock Hill officials present FY26–27 general fund plan, outline raises and nonpayroll savings
Summary
District finance staff presented a balanced FY26–27 general fund for information on May 12: highlights included teacher step increases plus a $2,000 payment, a 3.5% COLA for non-teacher employees, six new ESE teacher positions and no proposed millage increase; trustees asked for line-item detail ahead of the May 26 vote.
Rock Hill School District finance staff on May 12 presented the first reading of the FY26–27 general fund budget, saying the proposal aims to fund teacher pay increases and expand supports without asking taxpayers for additional millage.
Kevin Madden, speaking for district finance, described a balanced proposal that includes a teacher step increase and a flat stipend of $2,000-plus for teachers, a district-wide 3.5% cost-of-living adjustment for non-teacher employees, and funding for six additional exceptional student education teacher positions. "We're able to get this accomplished without a millage increase," Madden told trustees, adding that the budget reflects staffing optimization and targeted nonpayroll savings.
Madden said the district plans to publish a detailed, line-item general fund breakdown to the public and trustees by August, and he committed to providing a preview of more detailed variance explanations ahead of the board's upcoming action. Trustees pressed for that level of detail during the meeting: Doctor Belton and others asked how nonpayroll categories (purchase services, supplies, capital outlay) would be allocated and requested supporting variance analysis for items that rose sharply last year.
A trustee referenced state tax law changes when discussing revenue shifts. "Because of Act 388, our local revenue structure and commercial tax base affect how the state funding shift plays out," one trustee observed; Madden explained that state transfers between fund categories can change how revenue appears on the general-fund summary and that the district reallocates expenditures to match those movements.
Madden identified several areas for potential nonpayroll savings — LED lighting, HVAC capital maintenance and reductions in space-heater spending — and said the district would provide explanatory memos tying each expenditure change to operational needs. He also said the district will publish a detailed line-item budget and variance explanations so trustees and the public can evaluate specific choices before the May 26 board vote.
Superintendent Doctor Elder thanked finance staff and reiterated that a public hearing on the general fund is scheduled for May 20 (5:30 p.m. at the district office), with board action on May 26. No formal action on the budget was taken on May 12; the presentation was informational and intended to solicit trustee questions and public comment ahead of adoption.
