COLUMBIA, S.C. — Following days of debate, the South Carolina Senate has greenlit a $15.8 billion budget for the upcoming fiscal year that starts July 1. Among the key provisions are salary increases for teachers and state employees.
Both the House and Senate have allocated $200 million for teacher pay raises. This allocation will ensure every teacher receives a pay bump, with the minimum starting salary elevated to $47,000 per year, up from $42,000. Additionally, teachers will now be eligible for yearly raises for up to 28 years, expanding from the previous 23-year limit.
“45 percent of all new recurring money in the budget this year went towards education,” said Sen. Sean Bennett. “So I think it's it sends the message that it's hopefully has been received for the last several budget cycles which is that we're committed to improving education in South Carolina, having a robust education system.”
Instead of opting for a $500 million property tax rebate, senators have chosen to utilize $100 million to reduce the income tax rate for most individuals in the state, dropping it from 6.4% to 6.2%.
“The Worry with their plan was residents would see their Tax bills going down for one year and then it would go up the next year, which is also a year of reassessment which means it could go up twice as much, which could be something that could be harmful to our citizens,” said Sen. Mike Fanning (D-Fairfield County).
The remaining revenue will be directed towards essential infrastructure projects, including road and bridge repairs, as well as upgrades to local water and sewer systems.
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“We wanted to make sure that the monies that we had, rather than asking for more from the public put that towards the things that they're interested in and the transportation infrastructure is a big one,” said Bennett.
For state employees, the budget includes an $82.5 million allocation to cover a $1,300 base pay increase for those earning $50,000 or less annually, along with a 2.75% raise for employees making more than $50,000.
“We’ve got to reward the people that provide services to the public,” said Bennett.
Moving forward, a bipartisan group comprising three House members and three senators will collaborate to reconcile the differences between the House and Senate versions of the budget.
Senators have also added a one-year requirement in the budget, mandating students to use bathrooms corresponding to their sex assigned at birth and stay in accommodations during overnight field trips with individuals of the same sex.
“As a teacher, it irritated me that we’re forcing our political arguments in the classroom,” said Fanning.
Senators opted to take out the provision to allow tuition increases even if the schools take the tuition mitigation money meant to freeze tuition rates for in-state students.