CCSD opens 2024-2025 school year with all teaching positions filled

Historic teacher fill rate to serve students well

Charleston County School District (CCSD) is opening an unprecedented school year with its approximately 3,600 classroom teacher positions filled. Superintendent of Schools Anita Huggins and Chief Human Resources Officer Bill Briggman made the historic announcement on Monday, August 12, 2024, a day before the 2024-2025 school year starts for students.

“This truly is one of the best pieces of news any superintendent could deliver, especially before the first day of class,” said Huggins. “I believe this will be an amazing school year, and there is no question that having a full roster of classroom teachers for all our children starts us on the best path imaginable.”

District leaders attribute the accomplishment to various reasons, one of which is the significant salary increase for educators in CCSD. The Board of Trustees approved an $8,000 raise for all teachers in June, the largest raise in a single year in the district’s history. The previous year, the Board increased teacher pay by $5,000 and extended the salary schedule to include staff with up to 40 years of experience. Additionally, stability in leadership is contributing to more teachers staying in the district.

“Our superintendent has worked in our system for 26 years,” Briggman explained. “Educators throughout our system respect Anita Huggins. In addition, we have more consistency in our schools. We had fewer principal changes than we have seen in a long time. At the end of the day, the biggest reason teachers decide to stay is quality leadership – at the top of the district and the building level.”

Huggins and Briggman thanked the Teacher Compensation Task Force, which began leading this effort in the fall of 2022. Classroom teachers, principals, staff from CCSD’s Division of Human Resources, and even community members have met regularly for the past two years to discuss the impact of the area’s cost of living on teachers, salaries, and additional factors to improve teacher retention.

The district filled 547 classroom teacher positions for the 2024-2025 school year, including more than 220 jobs added through the Weighted Student Formula (another highlight in CCSD’s FY2025 Budget).

For more information, contact the district’s Office of Communications at (843) 937- 6303.

About the Charleston County School District

Charleston County School District (CCSD) is a nationally accredited school district committed to providing equitable and quality educational opportunities for all its students. CCSD is the second-largest school system in South Carolina and represents a unique blend of urban, suburban, and rural schools spanning 1,300 square miles along the coast. CCSD serves approximately 50,000 students in 88 schools and specialized programs.

CCSD offers a diverse portfolio of educational options and specialized programs delivered to the students of CCSD through neighborhood, magnet, IB (international baccalaureate), Montessori, and charter schools and programs. Rich educational opportunities for students include programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM); music and other creative and performing arts; career and technical preparation programs; military; dual credit; and many more.