#48. That’s where S.C. ranks among the Best States for Education (both pre-k-12 + higher ed taken into account) – only coming ahead of Louisiana and New Mexico. With 763,189 students + ~48,000 teachers across 1,262 public schools in S.C., the Palmetto State has the #31 largest school system in the nation.
So why are our education rates so low? And where does the Upstate stand within all this? Greenville County is actually the largest school district in the state. And Greenville County Schools is ranked the #11 best district in a list of the 2019 Best Schools Districts in S.C. Fort Mill School District ranked #1.
We asked y’all what teaching was like in Greenville, and here’s what some of you said:
- “Fabulous, but unsustainable.”
- “Under appreciated, under funded, and not supported by principals.”
- “I love my kids. But because of its size, it’s so tough to have comradery as a whole.”
We also did a little more research of our own, and here’s what we found out:
Show me the money
According to the National Education Association (NEA), a starting teacher’s salary is $33,057 in S.C. (the national average is $38,617). S.C’s average teacher salary is ~$51,000 (ranking #33 in the nation). New York is #1 in teacher pay ranking – coming in at an average pay of $78,576. And Oklahoma comes in last at $39,306.
Governor McMaster recently released his proposed 2019-2020 state budget, which included a 5% pay raise for teachers (costing about ~$155 million).
Show me the funding
S.C. public schools are funded by 15 different entities (a combination of federal, state, and local sources) as well as ~36 programs devoted solely to education funding. One of the many sources of state funding for S.C. K-12 schools is the Education Finance Act (EFA). It’s often pointed out that the EFA is currently funded at $500 per student less than is required by law (which is $2,959). However, this funding gap is compensated for by many other federal, state and local sources of revenue.
School districts also receive state funds relative to the county’s tax paying ability. For instance, a wealthier county like Beaufort receives $5,705 per student annually in state funds ($16,564 per student when including federal and local funds), while a less-wealthy county like Allendale receives $10,145 per student annually in state funds ($19,762 per student when including federal and local funds). Greenville County receives about $6,500 per student. See the full list of S.C. school district funding here.
Nationally, schools spend an average of $11,392 per student every year; in South Carolina, schools spend an average of $13,656 per student, according to data provided by the Palmetto Promise Institute from the SC Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office.
Also part of McMaster’s proposed budget, he included a $10 increase to spending per student (costing ~$31 million).
