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Budgets for school operations are submitted for approval to authorized officials annually by June 30 for the ensuing year. The first elected school board of Clarendon County approved the prepared 2025–26 school budget presented by the superintendent and staff. The budget received approval of the first reading (May 29, 2025, for 5.19 mills) and second reading (June 16, 2025, for 5.19 mills) of the 2025–26 school budget by County Council.
On June 17, 2025, a briefing was held with County Council representatives and Clarendon County School Board representatives concerning some new information about the 2025–26 budget request. County Council requested representatives of the board to present new information to the entire board. A special called meeting was held on June 23, 2025, to discuss the request from County Council. No action was taken.
Clarendon County Council rescheduled the third reading of the 2025–26 school budget to June 26, 2025. During that meeting, Council tabled the third reading of the budget and requested that the school board amend the 2025–26 budget request to a zero mill increase in order to gain their approval.
Due to many of the key staff members being out of town, and one experiencing a family emergency, the board was not able to have a meeting to further discuss the request before Council's meeting on June 30, 2025.
The request from Council has placed the school district in a difficult position in terms of following state statutes when it comes to funding.
At this time, the board is working with legal counsel and the South Carolina Department of Education on a path forward to address the request from Council.
According to the Education Finance Act of 1977 (Section 59-20-20(3)), the requested mill increase by the district is in line with the act.
We believe since County Council is the authority to approve the budget, they will likely be the body to file a continuing resolution to ensure our employees are able to continue operations under the 2024–25 budget. All changes are on hold until the new budget is approved.
We are asking all citizens of Clarendon County to please allow Council and the school district to work together on this issue to resolve it and stop the misinformation that’s being spread.
Please allow the responsible parties to resolve this.
Remember, we are all in this together.
Thanks,
John D. Bonaparte
Chairman, Clarendon County School District Board of Trustees
