Lexington County School District One recently had its first reading of the 2025-26 general fund budget. In it, the request for additional assistant principals took a large role in the conversation. 

The total projected revenue for the 2025-26 school year is $390,373,110. During the board workshop at the beginning of April, members looked at requests in different groups: federal mandates, state mandates, fixed costs, Lexington One standards, study committee recommendations, would-like-to-dos and additional requests. 

Superintendent-elect Keith Price presented four different budget options with differences to accommodate each group's request. By the end of the presentation, members said they preferred option number three, adding they would like to see additional changes made.

In option three, the starting salary for certified teachers would be $52,000, and it includes all recommendations the salary study committee made, as well as all would-like-to-do items. 

The salary study committee recommended increasing the teacher starting salary; raising support staff salaries; increasing assistant custodians' salary grades; increasing number of work days for designated housekeeping positions; retention stipends for certified special education educators; increasing special education instructional assistants from 7.5 hours to eight hours; increasing special education instructional assistant salary grade; raising administration salary; and increasing elementary assistant principal number of work days. 

The would-like-to-do category includes adding one full-time phase two assistant principal pilot program (elementary school); adding one special education academic coach; adding one special behavior coach; adding four middle school academic interventionists; adding middle school athletic allocations; adding three middle school assistant principals; adding five high school assistant principals; and adding nine elementary math coaches. 

It would also include adding one additional custodial services specialist; a software increase; adding a student discipline management system; increasing high school athletic allocation; adding one middle school behavior interventionist; and adding a facilities work order tracking system expansion. 

Board member Chris Rice noted that the would-like-to-do category adds 26 new full-time employees. He expressed that all these items in the category seems to be helping the school and students. 

“My concern is that the new assistant principals will be in a position to succeed,” he said. “We can’t just throw them to the wolves. … Do we have a plan on how we’re going to bring them up to speed so they can help rather than hinder? I don’t take adding 26 new [full-time employees] lightly.”

Rice further said he wants to be confident in telling the community why they are authorizing certain things in the budget.

David F. Dixon, principal of Gilbert High School, spoke to board members on why they are requesting additional assistant principals. Dixon said that he, along with other principals, often take care of operational sides of things, instead of being the instructional leader.

“We’re putting in a 60-hour work week every single week, and that's not including nightly duties or weekends,” he said.

Dixon reported that Gilbert High has had 2,001 discipline referrals to date, 244 IEP/504 eligible students and 237 IEP/504/MDR meetings to date. 

In a public document, each high school in Lexington One provided these statistics.

Lexington High School has 2,800 discipline referrals to date, 649 IEP/504 eligible students and 518 IEP/504/MDR meetings to date.

Pelion High School reported 775 discipline referrals, 184 IEP/504 eligible students and 197 IEP/504/MDR meetings to date.

River Bluff High School reported having 2,931 discipline referrals to date, 511 IEP/504 eligible students and 438 IEP/504/MDR meetings to date.

White Knoll High School reported having 3,996 discipline referrals to date, 445 IEP/504 eligible students and 502 IEP/504/MDR meetings to date. White Knoll also reported that they have 81 pending IEP meetings. 

In the document, all five high schools state the addition of an assistant principal in their school would create a greater focus on instructional leadership and teacher development; improve student support and behavior intervention response; strengthen communication and collaboration with families and community stakeholders; enhance academic and career readiness; and create a more efficient coordination of school safety and crisis management. 

“Our main concern should be student outcomes,” board member Nicholas Pizzuti said. “If we don’t have the leaders in the school actually leading where they need to be, then we’re missing out. Y'all have my full support on this idea.”

Again, this is a draft of the budget. The board will be presented with two more readings before the June 30 deadline.

The next board meeting will be on Tuesday, May 20, at 6 p.m., at Central Services Building 1 located at 100 Tarrar Springs Rd.