Members of the Aiken County School Board heard a list of level 1 priorities to consider for the 2015-16 budget at a work session Tuesday.
Tray Traxler, comptroller for the Aiken County Public School District, presented the list, which includes items the board could approve if funding is available. The items on the list have the highest priority for consideration but are not "must-have" budget elements, which are annual step raises for teachers based on their years of service, a rise in the employee retirement contribution rate, an anticipated increase in health insurance premiums and funding for charter schools. "We know these are the top priorities, but there are limited resources," Traxler said.
Creating step increases for nonteachers is one of the school district's top priorities. Like step raises for teachers, the annual raises would be based on an employee's years of service.
A funding proposal to create magnet schools at Jackson and New Ellenton middle schools for science, technology, engineering and math and the arts is another priority. Jackson Middle would focus on STEM with an emphasis on technology and engineering, and New Ellenton Middle would target STEM and the arts.
Other priorities include:
- A cost of living adjustment for district employees
- Supplemental funding for athletic and extracurricular activities
- Assistant principals at several elementary schools
- One full-time attendance aide at every school regardless of the size
Traxler will present a preliminary budget, which will include all of the must-have items, April 21. That budget also could include proposed step raises for nonteachers and the evaluated inclusion of other budget requests from the level 1 priority list.
Other upcoming dates in the budget process are:
- Tentative budget, May 12
- Budget input, June 2
- Public hearing on budget, June 9
- Final budget, June 23
An Aiken native, Larry Wood is a general assignment reporter. He started at the Aiken Standard in September 2014.