South Carolina schools ask lawmakers for more money for safety, teachers and student support

South Carolina’s education agency is asking lawmakers for $511.3 million in fiscal 2026-27 support for teacher pay, school facilities, buses, literacy, classroom materials, scholarships and school safety. The request is not an appropriation, and the state budget remains unfinished.

That distinction matters because the fiscal year began July 1, 2026, while the General Assembly’s budget bill, H. 5126, remains in conference committee. The official legislative budget index lists House, Senate and House-amended versions, but no ratified or enacted version of the full 2026-27 budget. The Legislature’s bill page says the measure was last amended May 6 and remains in conference. South Carolina H. 5126 bill status

What the education agency requested

The South Carolina Department of Education’s formal request totals $511,302,471. It includes $389,902,471 in state funds and $121.4 million in other funds, according to the SCDE FY 2026-27 agency budget request.

The two largest requests are $150 million for a teacher-salary increase and $120 million for an Education Infrastructure Bank for rural and charter schools.

The proposed teacher funding would add $2,000 to every cell of the state salary schedule, raising the starting minimum from $48,500 to $50,500. The agency says funds would be distributed to public school districts under existing statutes and provisos, based on student enrollment. That is an agency proposal, not a guarantee that every teacher will receive the increase.

The infrastructure proposal would create a permanent source of funding for construction, renovation, modernization, refinancing or repayment of qualifying school-facility costs. The agency describes possible need-based grants, loans, low-cost financing and debt guarantees. Eligible districts and charter schools would provide matching funds, while criteria could include building condition, enrollment, local property wealth, poverty and capacity constraints. The matching and eligibility rules would have to be established through later legislation or program guidance.

Other proposals could affect families and districts

The request includes $30 million for expanded summer reading camps; $70 million in recurring and nonrecurring requests for high-quality instructional materials; $61,421,250 for the Education Scholarship Trust Fund; and $40 million for bus lease-purchase funding.

The document also lists requests for a teacher strategic-compensation pilot, a teacher career-ladder pilot, school-security personnel, digital curriculum support, fiscal oversight, a statewide education-finance data platform and SAFE K-12 implementation. Some requests are recurring, while others are nonrecurring or use other funds. The categories should not be treated as a single pot of available money.

If funded, the proposals could affect teacher compensation, summer literacy programming, classroom materials, school-bus replacement, facility investment and school-safety grants. Districts and charter schools could also face application, matching or reporting requirements for programs distributed through competitive or need-based processes. The Education Scholarship Trust Fund request alone does not establish expanded eligibility; the final budget and applicable program rules would control who qualifies and how much funding is available.

None of those outcomes should be treated as available funding until lawmakers approve appropriations and state agencies issue implementation guidance.

Lawmakers have not simply adopted the agency request

The legislative versions show that lawmakers have considered different amounts and priorities. In the Senate-passed version of H. 5126, a provision using prior-year Education Improvement Act surplus funds directs $34.3 million to instructional materials, $20 million to school-safety grants, $5 million to teacher strategic compensation and $3.2 million to a statewide education-finance data platform.

Those Senate-passed provisions differ from the SCDE’s broader agency request. They do not establish that the proposed $150 million teacher-salary increase or $120 million infrastructure bank will be funded.

The Senate document also displays one line as “$1,0000,000” for a University of South Carolina teaching-transformation pilot. That formatting anomaly is reproduced in the online legislative text and should not be treated as a verified dollar amount without checking the underlying legislative document or final enacted language. H. 5126 Part 1B as passed by the Senate

The South Carolina FY 2026-27 budget versions index identifies the House-passed version from March 11, the Senate-passed version from April 23 and the House-amended version from May 6. The current bill record says the House and Senate appointed a six-member conference committee after the Senate rejected the House’s May 6 amendment.

Why the delay matters

South Carolina began the 2026-27 fiscal year on July 1 without a completed full-year budget. The state is operating under a continuing resolution that keeps government operating at prior spending levels while lawmakers work toward a final agreement.

Independent reporting has said some school districts budgeted for teacher raises and could face pressure if the state does not provide the expected aid. That is a reported concern from districts, not a statewide finding that every district is facing a shortfall. The budget impasse also leaves districts waiting for details about whether new aid will be distributed by formula, through competitive applications or according to need.

For example, the SCDE’s infrastructure proposal identifies potentially eligible districts and charter schools but leaves the final program structure, matching requirements and award criteria unresolved. Similar questions apply to school-safety grants, bus funding, instructional materials and other proposals.

What residents should watch next

The next steps are for the conference committee to reach a compromise, for both chambers to approve the conference report, and for the governor to take any action required under the state budget process. The final appropriations bill and provisos—not the SCDE request or an earlier chamber version—will determine which programs receive money.

Teachers should look for the final salary schedule and the date districts may implement any increase. Families should check whether summer reading, instructional materials, transportation and scholarship funds are actually appropriated and whether eligibility rules change. Districts and charter schools should watch for application deadlines, matching requirements, award formulas and reporting rules.

Until those steps are complete, the $511.3 million figure describes what the Department of Education requested—not money that has been approved or is available to schools.

Sources

Discover more from Interactive News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.