COLUMBIA, S.C. — Governor Henry McMaster recently announced his budget proposal for the 2023-2024 fiscal year and it includes several line items for education including more money for teachers.
The budget set aside $132.5 million for the teacher retention line item that is meant to provide a $2,500 bonus for public school teachers.
Dr. Reggie Wicker with the Lexington-Richland Five School District said this money could make a difference.
“Any time we can receive some additional help to show extra support to our teachers and staff members is always a great opportunity," Wicker said. "We’ll continue to look for different opportunities and different strategies that we can provide that support."
In Lexington-Richland Five, the district implemented a program called the New Educator Retention Incentive (NERI). It is aimed at helping bring relief to the problem of keeping teachers in the classroom.
“For any teacher in the first three years of their career, as identified by their certificate, are eligible for up to $2,500 per year to offset some student load costs and be paid directly to them,” Wicker said.
With that program in place, the district said it had more teachers staying.
“We had a really great year in terms of filling vacancies," Wicker said. "I think right now we’re at 99.9 percent of field rate.”
This comes as districts are working against a teacher shortage.
The teacher raises from the governor’s budget would be split between the spring and fall semesters.