CCSD Approves Teacher Raises, Bringing Starting Pay To $67,500
Charleston County teachers are set to receive another pay increase after the Charleston County School Board unanimously approved the district’s fiscal year 2027 budget.
The approved budget includes a $2,700 raise for district teachers, beginning July 1. Veteran teachers will also receive a step increase, which is an additional pay adjustment based on years of experience. The move brings starting teacher salaries in Charleston County to $67,500.
The raise is part of a larger $965 million general operating budget, which is up 5.4 percent from the previous year. According to district officials, the latest increase places Charleston teachers among the highest paid in non-union school districts nationwide.
Classified school employees are also included in the budget. Teacher assistants, food service workers, maintenance employees, office administration staff, and other classified employees will receive a 3 percent salary adjustment.
A Continued Push To Raise Teacher Pay
The new raise continues a multi-year effort by Charleston County School District to increase educator compensation.
In fiscal year 2026, the district raised teacher salaries by $4,000 and adjusted pay scales across the board. That budget also moved incoming teachers and teachers in their first five years to the fifth step of the district’s salary scale, bringing starting pay to nearly $65,000.
In fiscal year 2025, teachers received an $8,000 pay bump, which helped make Charleston one of the top-paying districts for educators in South Carolina.
More Than Teacher Pay
The FY2027 budget also includes several other district investments.
CCSD is expanding its weighted student funding model to about $63 million, including an estimated $7.6 million for literacy intervention. The model directs additional funding to schools based on student needs, including poverty, disability status, and English learner enrollment.
The budget also includes $3.2 million for special education services, representing 39 positions districtwide, including teacher assistants, teachers, and registered behavior technicians.
The district also approved about $4.4 million for its Peninsula Promise plan, which is designed to expand educational opportunities for students downtown from early childhood through high school.
Why It Matters
For Charleston County, this is more than a teacher pay story.
It connects directly to cost of living, teacher recruitment, teacher retention, classroom support, and the future of public education in one of South Carolina’s fastest-growing regions.
The biggest question now is whether a $67,500 starting salary will be enough to help Charleston County attract and keep the educators it needs.
