Horry County Schools approves more than $1.2 billion budget, superintendent says

Clifford Jones, superintendent of Horry County Schools, said the Horry County Board of Education approved a budget for the upcoming school year that totals more than $1,200,000,000 and that the district implemented the plan without raising taxes.

Jones said the budget will support nearly 46,000 students and roughly 6,000 employees and will fund the continuation of a "24 to 29" capital improvement plan (phrase used in the transcript; units or date range not specified). "Our goals with the budget this year were simple, support our teachers, empower our students, and respect our taxpayers," Jones said.

Jones outlined compensation changes the district will prioritize, saying the budget raises starting pay for teachers and support staff, provides eligible employees with both longevity pay increases and a cost-of-living adjustment, and sets aside attendance bonuses to reduce reliance on substitutes. "Teacher leaders who make extra academic impact... deserve to be compensated for their time and skill," Jones said, arguing higher pay will help recruit and retain staff.

On student programs, Jones said the district will continue to fund efforts to improve early-grade literacy as part of its Rise with Reading initiative and is hiring more kindergarten teachers to reduce class sizes. He named a new career and technical education example: "Junior Achievement's 3DE School will operate inside Conway High School, allowing students to collaborate with local and national businesses and apply their education to solve real world problems," Jones said.

Jones said the district is deliberately cultivating partnerships with local businesses and organizations to help offset the cost of new programs. Financially, he said the district is reducing its reliance on the unassigned fund balance for a second consecutive year and still maintains solid reserves. The district is pursuing a long-term strategy to have a fully balanced budget in the next few years that does not dip into savings.

Jones described a shift toward zero-based budgeting for district offices, in which departments justify needs line by line. He said academics and human resources implemented that process this year, reducing district-office budgetary needs by more than $2.5 million, and that other departments and eventually schools will adopt the approach.

"I'm proud of this budget," Jones said. "It's all about laying a foundation and ensuring that the progress we're seeing in our schools is supported for years to come." The transcript records Jones saying the budget was passed; the transcript does not specify the vote tally or the exact meeting date for the board action.