By Greg Oliver

Courtesy The Journal

goliver@upstatetoday.com

EASLEY — The Pickens County School Board approved first reading of a proposed $128,597,450 general fund budget last week that includes pay raises for teachers and support staff and expands district services for early childhood, mental health and world languages, but does not include a tax increase.

“We are very pleased with the increase in teacher pay, and specifically the improved starting teacher pay ($38,513),” district superintendent Danny Merck said.

Merck said the district is adding teachers for 3- and 4-year-old kindergarten in Liberty, world language teachers at Clemson Elementary, Six Mile Elementary, Pickens Elementary and Hagood Elementary and another teacher to the Pickens County Career and Technology Center.

“We are making these improvements and more without recommending a millage increase,” Merck said. The proposed budget consists of a 4 percent increase on each cell of the teacher state minimum salary scale, one step increase for certified teachers paid on the teacher scale who are not at the top of the scale and pay initiatives for other employees, including one step increase for bus

You must be logged in to view this content.