By Betsy Finklea
The Dillon District Four budget for the 2019-2020 school year was approved by the Dillon District Four School Board on Monday evening.
Bryan Rivenbark, Chief Financial Officer, presented the budget. The total general fund budget for 2019-2020 is $29,350,522. Approximately 85 percent of the budget is salary and fringe benefits. This is “an overall budget increase of 4.39% ($1,235,180), from $28,115,342 in fiscal year 2018-2019 to $29,350,522 in fiscal year 2019-2020.”
“The budget includes a 4 percent increase to the Teachers Salary Schedules. All teachers with less than twenty-three years’ experience will also receive a step increase. In addition, the state minimum salary schedule has been amended to raise the beginning teacher salary to $35,000,” Rivenbark said.
“The budget includes a 4 percent increase in the classified employee salary schedules for all employees paid on the salary schedules. Employees with less than twenty-three years experience will also receive a step increase,” said Rivenbark.
Rivenbark said administration got a two percent increase.
The total instructional budget is $14,632,677, an increase of $522,048.
Other things Rivenbark noted were:
—“The revenue projections for EFA represents the Final Conference Committee Projections of a Base Student Cost of $2,489.00.”
—“Employer Rates for Health Insurance increased 3.46 percent.”
—“Employer Contribution Rates for Retirement increased from 20.06% to 21.81%.”
The total budget for food service is $3,592,094.
The general fund budget and the food service budget are both balanced. The motion to approve was made by Earl Gleason and seconded by Kenny Bethea.
The General Fund budget also includes $1.2 million from the fund balance which was approved by the Dillon County Board of Education last month. The total was $1,295,540. This wil be used to replace outdated desktop computers, eight grade tablets, and Promethean panels. The motion to transfer the $1.2 million was made by Famon Whitfield.