Historic CCSD budget passes unanimously
June 25, 2024
Includes $8,000 raise for all teachers, 100% market value for classified employees, and more than $32 million for schools through Weighted Student Funding formula
Charleston County School District’s (CCSD) Board of Trustees approved the second and final reading of the Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) General Operating Fund (GOF) budget on Monday, June 24. The historic budget is Superintendent of Schools Anita Huggins’ first budget since assuming the role. It includes the district’s single-largest salary increase for all teachers and the adoption of a Weighted Student Funding model for every school in the district.
Salary Increases for CCSD Staff
The FY2025 GOF Budget provides for an $8,000 increase across all cells of the teacher salary schedule (Steps 0-40).
In addition, the non-teacher salary schedule will receive a three (3) percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLAs) and will go from Step 31 to Step 33. For the non-teacher positions not currently compensated at full market value, there will be an additional average three (3) percent increase to bring district staff’s salaries to 100 percent of market value for similar benchmark positions in comparable labor markets.
The raises are paid for by a 3.9 mill increase on second homes, rental homes, and business property tax, which translates to about $23.40 per $100,000 of assessed value on those listed property types.
Weighted Student Funding (WSF) model
The historic, first-of-its-kind in the state WSF model establishes a new weighted student-based funding formula rooted in the belief that CCSD must provide schools and their students with the fiscal support necessary to ensure all students in CCSD read on grade level in the 5th grade, that middle school students are Algebra I ready and successful, and that all students exit its system college/career ready. It is grounded in the principle that CCSD must responsibly resource schools to allow for school autonomy coupled with accountability for positive student outcomes.
The district’s WSF formula provides additional resources in all schools based on the number of pupils in poverty, students receiving special education services, and multilingual learners.
A total of $32.8 million will go to schools throughout CCSD through the WSF model.
To cover this cost, GOF revenue was set aside in the district’s reserve fund in previous budgets (FY2021, FY2022, and FY2023). In addition, the district also made approximately $8 million in reductions to positions, programming, and expenditures at the district level.
The district’s FY2025 GOF budget goes into effect on July 1, 2024.
For additional information on the FY2025 GOF Budget, click on this link, or contact the Office of Communications at (843) 937-6303.
