Board tables FY27 budget after first reading; later approves higher principal pay and one new compliance coordinator

The Cherokee County School District presented its FY27 general fund first reading, projecting total revenue of $105,442,569, and outlined three salary scenarios for the board to consider. Finance presenter Mr. Pettit said administrators recommend a 3% across-the-board raise with teacher step increases that average about 4%. He told the board the packet now includes a $1,200,000 substitute-teacher line added since the budget workshop and that several software-implementation issues required manual verification of salary and fringe allocations.

Board members asked detailed questions about targeted pay disparities and staffing decision points. One board member asked, "But aren't assistant principals already behind if you look at the salary scale... I thought we were in line in most categories except for APs and the principal scale" (speaker 6), prompting administration to explain that some administrator categories trail neighboring districts. After discussion the board moved to table the budget for executive-session consideration of specific future jobs and personnel, a motion that carried unanimously. Returning from executive session, the board approved two substantive changes to the administration's recommendation: it adopted Scenario 2 (3% across the board with 4% for principals and assistant principals) and authorized the hire of one of the three proposed decision-point roles — the compliance coordinator in student services. The superintendent's relocation period was also extended three months by unanimous vote (rental stipend removed).