CONWAY, SC (WBTW) – A salary study is in the works for the Horry County School District. The board’s Human Resources committee had the study done by an outside consulting group to compare salaries around South Carolina.
The goal was to look at ten districts around the state as well as Horry County Government and City of Myrtle Beach Government to make sure Horry County schools offer competitive pay.
The committee heard the results during a presentation on Monday afternoon by the MGT Consulting Group.
Nancy Stepina-Robison with MGT said overall their research showed teacher pay in the district is very competitive but pay for other staff like bus drivers, administrators and nurses would need a raise to be more competitive.
We’ve reported for over a year on bus driver shortages in the county due, in part, to pay.
“This all started because a lot of board members realized bus drivers and some of the lower salaried people were not getting paid too much,” said School Board Chairman, Joe DeFeo.
However, DeFeo and others were not happy with the presentation.
“This is so incomplete,” he said about the presentation. “And what they’re giving us is the fluff.” Earlier in the presentation chairman of the HR Committee, David Cox, said the consulting group was giving too much fluff and they wanted the meat and data. Board member, Ray Winters, said he believes some of benefits data was skewed.
“I want the data, this board wants the data,” said DeFeo. “They are not recommending raises to us, this board will decide whether there will be raises, not raises or if we’ll change some pay in the future that actually might be less.”
Board members were also upset because they requested the study be finished in January or February and it is still not complete.
“This salary study is not going to make a difference in what we do as far as our budget right now,” added DeFEo.
DeFeo said instead of the group’s recommendation, he wants to see a spreadsheet with all districts and the salary range for all positions. Cox hopes to have the data by this Friday.
So far, Cox said the district has paid $52,000 for the study and will decide whether to keep paying as the study is still ongoing.
