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Spartanburg County School District One presents balanced $68.6 million FY 2026–27 operations budget with staff raises
Summary
At the board meeting the district presented the third reading of its FY 2026–27 operations budget, estimating $68,567,589 in revenues and matching expenditures; the proposal includes a $2,000 teacher raise and a 4% pay increase for all staff but does not raise operating millage.
Lacy Brady, who presented the budget, told the Spartanburg County School District One Board of Trustees that the third reading of the proposed FY 2026–27 operations budget estimates $68,567,589 in revenues and matching expenditures and "This is a balanced budget."
Brady said overall revenues are up about 3.6% compared with FY 2025–26, with local revenue increasing roughly 8.4%, state revenue increasing about 2% and the "other" category declining slightly. Expenditures are projected to rise about 3.6%, for a net increase of approximately $2,386,282.
The proposal contains several staff compensation items: mandatory step increases for certified staff, a $2,000 salary increase for all teachers (together representing roughly a 4% increase for certified staff), and a 4% increase for other staff. Brady also said employer health insurance premiums increased about 4.6% effective Jan. 1, 2026, with the remaining portion recognized in July 2026.
Brady outlined program and contract changes: the budget adds a class at Holly Springs MLO for a satellite program with Spartanburg 7 and raises contracted services spending to expand teacher assistant positions through Kelly Services. She said the additional contracted‑services costs are roughly $300,000 but that using contracted staff is expected to save the district a little over $350,000 elsewhere. The presentation also cited copier lease savings (about $160,000) and other smaller cost reductions.
On spending composition, Brady said salary and fringe benefits account for about 86% of total operating expenditures, about 4% goes to supplies and materials, 9% to purchase services and about 1% to other items (largely transfers to student activities, including athletics). Within purchase services, roughly 24% is tuition costs for programs such as the alternative school, McCarthy Tesler with Spartanburg 7, Swafford Early College, Scholars Academy and the RD Anderson master skill center; other major purchase services lines include substitute staffing (Kelly), athletic trainers, contracted health services, the employee assistance program and student accident insurance.
Brady said an operating mill is valued at roughly $80,000 and that the current operating millage is 175.8 mills; the budget proposal does not include an increase in operating millage but does include a one‑mill increase for teacher equalization, a district initiative begun in FY23 in partnership with other Spartanburg County school districts.
She reviewed debt service items separately, saying estimated debt service revenues are about $20,332,841 and describing short‑term bond issuances and recent refunding of IPRB bonds to general obligation debt as drivers of changes in the debt fund. Brady described principal payment schedules for recent issuances and noted the sheet will be updated after year‑end close.
The presentation concluded with a board clarification about how levy and millage components appear on the county auditor's levy sheet; trustees were urged to examine the underlying components (for example, alternative programs and teacher equalization) before drawing conclusions from headline millage figures.
No formal vote on the operating budget is recorded in the transcript of the meeting; the public‑comment period followed the presentation and the meeting later adjourned.
