SC teachers will start out at $40K a year under new $13.9B House budget proposal
State employees and public school teachers could see pay bumps as part of a $13.9-billion spending plan approved by House budget writers this week.
South Carolina public school teachers would be paid at least $40,000 a year, which is a jump from the $36,000 minimum salary.
State employees would receive a 3% raise and a $1,500 bonus under the plan that comes as the state prioritizes how to allocate an additional $4.6 billion it has to spend this year.
The 3% raise would cost the state an additional $72 million a year, while the $1,500 bonus costs about $45 million.
“I think all of the committee appreciates the hard work of the state employees and it was important … to the entire committee we make sure we give a bonus and I think that was very important in addition to a raise,” said House Ways and Means Chairman Murrell Smith, R-Sumter. “I know inflation has gone up and everybody is struggling to make ends meet during this environment and I certainly think that we will continue to try to find ways to thank our state employees.”
State Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, D-Orangeburg, a long-time advocate for giving state employees pay raises, hopes for an additional bonus for state workers who earn less than $50,000 a year. That group of state workers make up about 75% of the state workforce, as the state still has additional federal money to allocate, including through the American Rescue Plan Act.
“It would be great in my opinion if we looked at that category of state employees and look at giving them a sizable bonus with some of these federal dollars for the work that they have done,” Cobb-Hunter said.
House budget writers included an additional $38 million to recruit and retain law enforcement and correctional officers in the state.
Teacher pay raise
To pay for the proposed teacher pay raise, House budget writers want to send an additional $227 million to public schools as a part of their spending plan.
Gov. Henry McMaster called for a a minimum salary of $38,000 and the Department of Education initially requested a 2% increase for teachers when it submitted its budget request in September.
After estimates showed the state would have billions of additional dollars to spend, Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman told budget writers she wished she had asked for more and called for a $40,000 a year minimum salary.
School districts that already pay teachers more than the proposed $40,000 minimum would not be required to raise salaries further.
About 50 of the state’s 77 school districts have a starting salary under $40,000.
Under the proposal, teachers also would see their classroom supply stipend increase to $300 from $275.
The budget proposal also includes an effort to recruit and retain bus drivers by increasing their pay by 5%.
“I think this has been an excellent year for public education and the rest of our agencies,” said state Rep. Bill Whitmire, R-Oconee, who chairs a panel that oversees public education spending.
South Carolina officials have for years sought to raise teacher pay, as many former educators report that low pay factored into their decision to leave the profession.
This year, the state had more than 1,000 teaching vacancies to start the year, according to the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention and Advancement’s annual educator supply and demand report.
“Given record inflation levels and the growing competition in the teacher job market across the Southeast, this budget would greatly enhance the capacity of South Carolina districts to compete for the top talent needed to meet the significant academic and emotional needs of students,” said Patrick Kelly, director of governmental affairs for the Palmetto State Teachers Association.
This story was originally published February 23, 2022 at 4:46 PM.
