Lexington County School District Four had its first reading for the 2025-26 general budget, including a total projected revenue of $44,537,200, which is an increase of $3.88 million from the 2024-25 budget, which was $40,656,040. 

Currently, Lexington County is going through a reassessment, which adds complexity to the budgeting process. Though administrators noted that the district's operating millage rate has remained unchanged since 2019, some taxpayers may still see increases or decreases in their bills depending on the individual's property value. 

Lexington County Administrator Lynn Sturkie shared during the April 30 State of the County event hosted by the Lexington Chamber and Visitors Center that the reassessment program is implemented every five years, so the last one was in 2020. 

Non-taxable property will not receive a reassessment notice, he said, but businesses in the county that are not manufacturing will receive one. Manufacturing businesses will instead receive one from the state. 

"Market sales from January 2020 through December 2024 were received and analyzed in implement the 2025 Reassessment Program," according to Sturkie's presentation. "Property owners will have 90 days from the date of the notice to appeal. The bottom of the assessment notice will have a tear off portion to mail in the appeal if they disagree with the value. All appeals must be done in writing." 

Locals should have already started receiving their reassessment notices in the mail. 

“The board has been trying to keep it level and not impact the taxpayers for years, but when you have a year of reassessment, some may see an increase and expect to potentially pay more in taxes,” a district administrator said. 

The budget is funded through state funds (75%), local taxes (23%) and from other sources (2%). Around 89.9% of the budget is allocated to salaries, fringe benefits and contracts, administrators said.  

Additionally, the district is expecting residential growth in the upcoming years as economic developments and more will bring more individuals to the county. 

“This year, and I think in the next couple of years as we budget, we need to be mindful of that and the potential of additional costs that will come associated with those students,’’ a district administrator noted. 

The administration presented board members with three different budget options, each varying with priorities and state mandates. 

While the administration recommended option two to board members to approve for first reading, members approved option three. Option three includes a millage rate of 319.69 mills, the same rate for the past six years.

Included in option three is: 

• Teacher salary schedule step increase

• Increase to teacher salary schedule by $1,500 per cell

• State increase to bus driver salary schedule of 2%

• Estimated increase in employer’s share of health insurance (4.6%)

• Estimated increase in employer’s share of state retirement (0.5% increase)

• 1.0 FTE special education teacher

• 1.0 FTE speech language pathologist

• Increase in budget for SROs

• Estimated increase to cover costs associated with Property and Casualty insurance premiums

• Step increase for all other employees

• Support and supplement schedules increase by 2%

• Remaining salary schedules increased by $1,500 per cell

• Funding for summer school costs, kindergarten through eighth grade

• Transportation costs for McKinney-Vento/special education students

• Additional funding for state charges for hazardous mileage payments

• Increase funding for ATSI to offset reduced federal allocation for SPED

• Funding for adjustments to school/department general fund allocations

• Increase budget for substitutes

• Increase budget for costs associated with FACE teachers

• Additional funding for operational and facilities maintenance

• Annual licenses for district-wide software and maintenance of 1 to 1

• Class size reduction

• 1 FTE bus driver position

• Increase professional development funding for district and board

The school board will hold its second reading of the budget on June 9, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Lexington Four Administrative Office, located at 607 E. 5th St. in Swansea.

Editor Bryn Eddy contributed to this report.