SC Department of Education wants across the board teacher raise. Here’s how much By Joseph Bustos December 15, 2025 5:00 COLUMBIA, S.C. Education leaders in the state want teachers to receive a $2,000 a year pay raise. It’s a move that would bring the starting teacher pay to $50,500 from $48,500. The proposed $2,000 increase to each cell of the state’s minimum salary schedule was included in the Department of Education’s annual budget request used by lawmakers when crafting the state spending plan. The salary schedule sets teacher pay based off of years or experience and education level. School districts have the option of paying above that schedule. Currently, 45 school districts out of the state’s 72 traditional school districts have a starting salary below $50,500 a year. “The most impactful in school factor affecting student success is the effectiveness of the classroom teacher,” Superintendent Ellen Weaver wrote in the department’s budget request. Raising teacher pay has been seen as needed to address the teacher shortage in South Carolina and to keep teachers in the profession. That teacher shortage has shrunk in recent years. When this school year began, school districts had 706 vacancies, compared to 1,043 vacancies at the beginning of the 2024-25 school year. Districts also have seen a 5% drop in departures, according to an annual report from the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention and Advancement. The Department of Education points to efforts to raise teacher pay, a pilot program that provides bonuses for teachers who had measurable student growth, and making sure classrooms are free from distractions to help keeping teachers in the classroom. “Teachers are the heartbeat of our schools. When they thrive, students soar. Everything starts with great educators — and that’s why supporting, equipping, and rewarding them remains my top priority,” Weaver said in a statement touting the latest CERRA report. “This year’s Supply and Demand Report proves that our shared efforts are working.” South Carolina budget writers have made it a priority to raise teacher pay over last several years. In 2018-19, the starting teacher pay in the state was $32,000. Gov. Henry McMaster set a goal of reaching a starting salary of $50,000 a year by the end of his term. “Over the past half decade, South Carolina has made commendable progress in professionalizing teacher compensation,” Weaver wrote. Increasing each cell in the salary schedule by $2,000 would cost $150 million. Budget writers have $734 million of new annual dollars to allocate in the upcoming budget year. However, a chunk of that amount is expected be used for an additional income tax cut, shrinking the money available to spend on recurring costs such as salaries, services and programs. Lawmakers are scheduled to return to Columbia to start the 2026 session Jan. 13.
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