LEXINGTON, S.C. — Seven school board members decided how to spend Lexington School District One's new $385.1 million budget for the district's upcoming 2024-2025 academic year.
School board vice chair Kathy Henson said that under the new administration, including a new chief financial officer and new superintendent, the board started at a zero base evaluating needs, costs and benefits, as opposed to years past, when they looked at what they already had to fund.
Henson said that this year, they're also seeing an end to Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding from COVID.
"So, we had to be able to say how can we create a balanced budget while losing some areas of funding but meeting some other needs?" Henson said. "And I am so proud that we aren't having to raise our millage this year, yet we are able to, for all eligible employees, provide the step increase, as well as a 3% raise."
According to data from the school district, starting teacher salaries have increased from prior years between 5% to 9% over the past four years.
According to Henson, the district projects having to use up to $24.8M of Fund Balance to balance the 2024-2025 budget.
Henson said that after salaries took up over 80% of the budget, the board made room for ATLAS and CONNECT program funding, both of which are behavioral support programs, costing about $800,000.
"Our teachers are really seeing this as an area of need, and so us listening to our teachers and being able to respond in this way, I see that as a great retention tool for our teachers because right now recruitment and retention of teachers is challenging," Henson said.
Education officials said this budget will end on June 30, 2025.
Lexington One said there's a chance they'll revisit the budget in August based on state money allocations.