Clover schools get $50K starting teacher pay. How does it compare to other SC districts?

The Clover School District is the first in York County to set a starting teacher pay at $50,000. Other districts in the region are likely to follow, and soon.

“Most of our neighbors are going to do the same thing,” said Ken Love, chief financial officer for Clover schools.

On Monday night, the Clover school board unanimously approved a $129.2 million budget for the upcoming school year.

The 6.6% growth from this year, or about $8 million, includes the equivalent of more than 21 new full-time staff positions and seven bus drivers. The district will take on seven positions previously paid for by emergency federal funds from the COVID pandemic.

Staff increases in the coming budget total $4.9 million. The increase to $50,000 for a first-year teacher with a bachelor’s degree will cost the district $2.1 million.

Increases based on years of service and education level will be another $1.6 million and a 3% cost of living bump will cost $1 million.

The increases are based on plans to increase the state minimum starting salary to $47,000.

“We feel it’s important for us to maintain some distinction as being a district that pays above the state minimum and recognizes the appropriate knowledge and work basis of that,” Love said.

When budgeting for hiring, the Clover district uses a teacher in the middle of the pay scale for experience and education level. That teacher with a masters degree and 14 years experience would earn $64,000. The cost to the district, with benefits and health insurance contributions, is almost $97,000.

District operating budgets in South Carolina are funded through taxes on businesses, investment properties, rentals and personal property like boats and vehicles.

$50,000 teacher pay in SC schools

State and local school district budgets for the coming fiscal year aren’t finalized, so it’s unclear how teacher pay will compare in the fall across districts.

The Fort Mill School District proposed increasing starting teacher pay from $47,000 to $50,000. The Chester County School District proposed a new starting teacher salary at a little more than $50,000.

The Lancaster County School District board met Tuesday night to review its proposed budget. That district looks to increase starting teacher pay above $49,000 but didn’t go higher to instead spread salary increases across its staff.

The district didn’t want to inequitably raise starting pay and risk losing more experienced teachers by giving them smaller increases, district chief financial officer Jatana Norris said.

District staff said about 15% of districts statewide are likely to hit the $50,000 starting teacher pay mark this fall. In Lancaster County, about 84% of the proposed $182.7 million operating budget goes to salary and benefits.

“It’s important for folks to see how much of our operating budget is really going toward salaries and benefits,” said board member Melvin Stroble.

The salary and fringe increases for next school year will add about $15 million to the budget in Lancaster County.

In budgeting during recent months, board and staff members in districts across the area have talked about the vast majority of operations spending going toward teacher pay.

“We’re in the people business,” Lancaster County board chairman Brad Small said Tuesday night. “That’s what we do. We’re paying incredible educators to teach the next CEOs, the next Air Force pilots and everything else.”