The Greenville County Schools Board of Trustees has unanimously approved the $981 million General Fund Budget for Fiscal Year 2027, adding more than 30 positions and adjusting employee salaries.
The Board approved the proposed budget following a public hearing on Monday night. The budget allows for $981,689,000 in revenue and expenditures for the district in 2027, with no recommended millage increase. This is an 1.9% increase from last year’s General Fund budget, which was $962,992,000.
District officials say that a major focus of the budget is increasing salaries for teachers and employees. The budget includes a salary step increase of 3.75% for employees at every level, and $2,700 added to teacher salaries at every level. For the next school year, Greenville County Schools will offer an entry-level teacher salary of $54,606, with a top pay of $111,221.
“Our students benefit most when they are supported by talented, dedicated educators and staff,” said Dr. W. Burke Royster, Superintendent of Greenville County Schools. “This budget prioritizes attracting and retaining high-quality teachers and employees because we know that investing in our workforce is one of the most effective ways to strengthen student success and continue to advance our community.”
Substitute teachers and special education aides will also see a pay adjustment. There will be a 6% increase in substitute teacher pay and a pay increase of $2/hour for special education aides. The district is also working to increase pay for principals and assistant principals, budgeting for a $2,000 salary increase for most principal positions and compressing the assistant principal salary schedule.
The District has budgeted for several new positions, including special education roles and 15 permanent substitutes. School officials say that 15% of the district population is in special education, and strengthening the department has been a long-standing goal of the district. It has been budgeted to add 10 special education aides, five behavioral support liaisons, four special education specialists and three behavioral specialists for the next school year.
Here is a full look at the expenditures for next year’s budget:
Expenditures Due to State Mandates:
$7,247,000 of the budget goes toward state-mandated expenses, such as state health insurance premiums and teacher salary step increases. These items are mandated through legislation.
Teacher Salary Step | $6,425,000 |
Teacher Certificate Upgrades | 955,000 |
State Health Employer Contribution Increase (Effective January 1, 2026) | 1,366,000 |
State Health Employer Contribution Increase (Effective January 1, 2027) | 0 |
Retirement Surcharge Reduction | ($1,499,000) |
Paid Parental Leave | 0 |
Total | $7,247,000 |
Additional Expenditures:
These are notable expenditures in the FY27 budget, organized by the Strategic Education Plan goal that they aim to fulfill.
Goal 1: Student Success | |
|---|---|
Adjustments to Formula-Based Allocations | ($15,500,000) |
Reedy Laurel Elementary School - 3rd Grade (7.2 FTE) | 618,000 |
Permanent Substitute Teachers - Increase to Existing Allocation (15.0 FTE) | 708,000 |
Behavior Specialists (3.0 FTE) | 401,000 |
Behavior Support Liaisons (5.0 FTE) | 325,000 |
Special Education Aides (10.0 FTE) | 496,000 |
Special Education Specialists (4.0 FTE) | 589,000 |
School Psychologist (1.0 FTE) | 105,000 |
Occupational Therapist (1.0 FTE) | 119,000 |
Increases for Existing Academic Contract Costs | 258,000 |
Goal 2: Premier Workforce | |
Teacher Salary Schedule Increase of $2,700 | 19,257,000 |
Add Step 38 to the Teacher Salary Schedule | 318,000 |
Adjust Special Education Aide Salary Scale Additional $2/Hour | 971,000 |
6% Increase for Special Education Aide Substitutes | 15,000 |
6% Increase to Substitute Teacher Pay | 239,000 |
Non-Teacher Salary Schedules Step Movement - Minimum 3.75% | 8,438,000 |
Bus Driver Compensation for Years of Experience | 111,000 |
Assistant Principal Competitiveness (Entry Schedule Compression) | 106,000 |
Principal Competitiveness | 272,000 |
Goal 3: Caring Culture and Environment | |
Mental Health Counselors (15.0 FTE) | 701,000 |
Transportation Technology Increases Due to Loss of E-Rate Funding | 335,000 |
District Property/Liability Insurance Premiums | 262,000 |
Increases to Existing Service/Supply Contract Costs | 723,000 |
Total | $19,867,000 |
Reduction in Expenditures:
District officials say that various contractual agreements allow for a reduction to the General Fund Budget. Here is a look at those reductions.
Athletic Trainers | ($400,000) |
International Teachers | ($56,000) |
Reduction Due to Wireless Service Provider Change | ($56,000) |
Transfer of Career and Technology FTEs to Special Revenue Fund | (7,905,000) |
Total | ($8,417,000) |
Total Budget - $981,689,000
All Greenville County Schools Board of Trustees meetings are recorded and uploaded to the Board’s YouTube channel. Watch the final budget approval at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmaQpf8p8mY.
