PSTA statement on educator salaries in Ways and Means budget

The Palmetto State Teachers Association strongly supports the recommended increase to educator salaries contained in the General Appropriations Act language released today by the House Ways and Means Committee. The proposal to invest an additional $150 million to raise each cell on the statewide teacher salary schedule by $2,000 for the 2026-27 school year demonstrates the ongoing commitment of the General Assembly to improve educator recruitment and retention efforts across the state.

At the start of this school year, South Carolina schools reported the first decline this decade in vacant teaching positions. Several factors contributed to this improvement, but none likely had a larger impact than the ongoing commitment to make educator compensation in South Carolina competitive with salaries offered in other states. At the start of the decade, average teacher pay in South Carolina trailed the southeastern average, but today, South Carolina provides some of the top salaries in the region. Notably, the growth in average educator salaries has been driven by increased pay for all educators, not just those new to the profession.

If implemented, the proposal in this year’s Ways and Means budget to increase the minimum statewide starting salary to $50,500 would represent a 68% increase compared to minimum salaries in 2017. This figure would continue to ensure that all teachers in South Carolina are paid above the minimum salary in our neighboring states, a primary reason a record number of teachers living in North Carolina and Georgia are crossing the border to teach in South Carolina each day.

The release of the Ways and Means budget moves the state one step closer to delivering on Governor McMaster’s long-stated promise and commitment to see statewide minimum teacher pay reach at least $50,000 before the end of his term in office. As the longest serving Governor in state history, there are numerous opportunities to apply “unprecedented” to Governor McMaster’s tenure. Perhaps this is nowhere more apparent than in his leadership and efforts to financially support the educational professionals that invest daily in the lives of students across the state. Whether in the increased salaries of certified educators or in the commitment to fund a School Resource Officer in every school across the state, Governor McMaster’s legacy will forever be tied to his belief that recruiting and retaining world class educator talent must rest at the heart of all efforts to improve K-12 outcomes and opportunities in South Carolina.

These efforts have been and will continue to be transformational for educators, students, and families across the state. PSTA calls on the full House to adopt the educator salary recommendations that have now been endorsed by the Governor, Superintendent Weaver, and the full Ways and Means Committee.