School budget on its way to commission
Maverick Cole, 8, a student at South Clinton Elementary School, points out his original artwork on display at the Clinton Community Center on Saturday to his mom, Taylor Cole, and big brother Kenton Cole, 11. (photo:Ben Pounds )
This budget will next go to the Anderson County Commission for approval.
Total expenditures are $83,714,862, with an estimated deficit of $476,755, which Director of Schools Tim Parrott said a fund balance would cover.
He also said the school system was requesting no tax increases. He called it a “good, solid budget.”
Separately, the school board unanimously approved a cafeteria budget of $4,803,713 and a salary schedule.
Under the salary schedule, the lowest pay for teachers is $50,000 and the highest is $80,416, based on experience and academic degree. That full pay schedule along with the hourly ones for secretaries, education assistants and maintenance is attached to the agenda posted at acs.ac.
Claxton School
Unconnected to the budget the board gave two million to the construction of a new elementary school in Claxton. The board also unanimously approved a contract with Merit Construction with a sum of $27,896,600. The new school will be at the former Crossroads Christ Fellowship Church site at 105 Fellowship Lane, replacing the current school at 2218 Clinton Highway.
Director of Schools Tim Parrott has said the school is likely to be finished by February 2027. He and others have said the current school has disability access, security, structural, electrical, water and parking issues as well as being too close to upcoming road construction.
Parrott said earlier the school system does not plan to raise taxes for this project but gave other sources of funding. A bond issue will be for $20 million. The school system is paying almost all elementary debt service, Parrott said. The school system estimates the sale of the old Claxton School property will bring $3.5 to $4 million. Money from the regular budget over three years will be $1 million. A capital project fund over three years will provide $3 million. The general-purpose school fund will offer $2 million over three years, he said.
Vouchers
and bonuses
The Board of Education unanimously approved a resolution to let the state give $2,000 bonuses to Anderson County Schools’ teachers.
The state, however, included this measure in the Education Freedom Act of 2025, which also gives funds to parents to pay for students’ private school tuition. With that in mind, the version the board passed includes the line, “be it further resolved the Anderson County Board of Education remains adamantly opposed to vouchers in any form or the use of public funds for private education.”
“We added a little to it,” Board of Education Chairman Scott Gillenwaters said.
Grand Oaks sign
The Board of Education voted to give permission to Grand Oaks Elementary to fundraise for a new electronic sign that will give announcements, events and celebrations.
Grand Oaks Principal Jessica Conatser said her school plans to raise all of the money but it may take a while.
