The Fort Mill School District Board of Trustees met Wednesday evening for its regular monthly meeting, covering a packed agenda that included financial updates, school calendar adjustments, a first look at the district’s strategic plan, and a contested decision over makeup days for students affected by a nearby industrial incident.
Special Recognitions
The evening opened on a lighter note with Superintendent Grey Young presenting the Superintendent’s Red Nose Award to four district employees: Victoria Bujak, Jessica Calloway, Melissa Grupp, and Gwen Hoyle. Dr. Gales Scroggs also recognized Middle and High School students who earned All-State Band honors.
School Spotlight: River Trail Elementary
Principal Savannah Steger and her staff took the spotlight to showcase their school’s culture initiative, “Together We Bloom,” a goal-setting program that celebrates individual and grade-level achievements while prioritizing student ownership and staff well-being. Steger described the school’s mission as building a joyful, high-performing community centered on continuous improvement.
Financial Update
Chief Financial Officer Leanne Lordo delivered the monthly financial report through February 28, the eighth month of the fiscal year. The district reported total revenue of $202,474,438 against total expenditures of $158,811,725, reflecting a positive cash flow of roughly $43.6 million. Property tax collections have reached 99% of the budgeted amount, with the remaining balance now in delinquent tax collections.
On the impact fee front, the district has collected $83.35 million to date, with an additional $7.5 million earned in interest. March saw 8 single-family homes and 5 multi-family units added, with actual collections for the month totaling $341,100, below the 2025 monthly average of $848,076.
Lordo also outlined the state budget calendar, with Senate Finance Committee discussions scheduled for April 7 through 9 and a final conference committee report expected in mid-May. Locally, the district is facing a maximum millage rate increase of 6.44% for fiscal year 2026-27, based on a 3.81% growth figure combined with a 2.63% CPI adjustment. Budget recommendations will be presented at the April 14 board meeting.
Strategic Plan Gets First Reading
Superintendent Young and Dr. Mike Waiksnis presented the district’s strategic plan for its first reading. The plan, which has been in development since 2019 and shaped by input from students, teachers, parents, and community members, is organized around four goal areas: Leadership Capacity, Learning Capacity, Resource Capacity, and Personalized Learning. Each area includes performance goals, strategies, and action steps tied to the district’s broader mission.
As the current planning cycle winds down, the district will update the plan one final time for the 2026-27 school year before launching preliminary work on a new strategic plan and Cognia accreditation visit in 2027-28. The plan is expected to come before the board for formal approval at the April 14 meeting.
2027-28 Academic Calendar Previewed
Assistant Principal Joe Burke introduced a first reading of the 2027-28 academic calendar, which follows a modified year-round format featuring balanced 90-day semesters. Under the proposed calendar, teachers would return July 26, with students beginning August 2. Notable breaks include a fall break October 4 through 8, a February break coinciding with Presidents’ Day, and a last day of school on May 25, before Memorial Day. The calendar is expected to come up for a formal vote in April.
2026-27 Calendar Updates Approved
The board voted to approve updates to the existing 2026-27 academic calendar in response to guidance from the South Carolina Department of Education. The changes designate three makeup days: October 12, 2026; February 1, 2027; and March 26, 2027.
Flint Hill Makeup Days Tabled
One of the evening’s more contentious items involved Flint Hill Elementary School, where students missed two days of instruction on March 5 and 6 due to an incident at the nearby Silfab Solar facility. The SCDOE informed the district that those days cannot be waived, citing eLearning policy and the availability of remaining calendar days including Memorial Day and a post-year teacher workday.
To avoid disrupting the holiday or extending the school year, the district proposed two alternatives: a Saturday, April 25 makeup day using the district’s final eLearning day, and converting a May 29 half-day into a full instructional day for Flint Hill students. The board voted to table the item pending further discussion.
$10.25 Million Bond Issue Approved
The board authorized the issuance of up to $10,250,000 in general obligation bonds to fund district improvement projects. The district regularly uses this bonding authority, capped at 8% of assessed tax value without a public referendum, to cover capital projects outside the scope of the operating budget. Repayment is typically structured over three to five years.
District Snapshot
Superintendent Young closed the meeting with a look at current district data. Total enrollment stands at 18,253 students. For March, the top attendance honors went to Orchard Park Elementary at 97.5%, Gold Hill and Pleasant Knoll Middle Schools tied at 97.2%, and Fort Mill High School at 96.1%.
The full meeting is available to watch on demand on the Fort Mill School District’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/@FortMillSchoolDistrict.
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