In a move to address teacher compensation, South Carolina’s House budget committee has proposed a $1,500 salary increase for teachers statewide. This adjustment will raise the starting salary from $47,000 to $48,500, impacting approximately 45 school districts where current starting salaries fall below this new threshold.
The salary schedule will also be streamlined from five lanes to four by removing the lane for a bachelor’s degree plus 18 hours of continuing education. Most teachers in this category have already advanced to a master’s degree.
While the pay raise is a positive step, South Carolina continues to face over 1,000 unfilled teaching positions. Efforts to increase salaries have positioned the state near the top in the Southeast for starting and average teacher pay, contributing to ongoing initiatives to address educator shortages.
The budget proposal is currently under review and will be subject to further discussions in the coming weeks.
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