Ellen Weaver shares Department of Education’s 2024-2025 budget priorities

FILE – School-choice advocate Ellen Weaver smiles during a stop at the Statehouse on Monday, March 7, 2022, in Columbia, S.C. Weaver has received endorsements from a number of officials across South Carolina in her campaign for education superintendent. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard, File)

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO)– State Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver presented the Department of Education’s budget priorities for the 2024-2025 school year on Tuesday afternoon.

During a House Ways and Means subcommittee meeting, Weaver outlined the challenges South Carolina’s students, families, and educators face, reviewed efforts funded in the current year’s budget, and talked about the state Department of Education’s top priorities for next year.

She broke down the priorities into four main categories which were student success, teacher support, workforce readiness, and safe schools.

“The future we want for our students is in view, and the path is evident. We must have clarity of mission and vision and we must align our resources for highest impact. This budget aims to improve student success, boost teacher support, build workforce readiness, and enhance school safety,” Superintendent Weaver said.

The requests include $186 million to revamp the state’s math standards and curriculum, establishing a statewide uniform mapping system to assist first responders when responding to an emergency call at a local school and more.

Weaver also says she supports the efforts to get teachers to a $50 thousand a year starting salary as well as increasing current teacher’s step increases.

If approved the budget items would go into effect for the 2024-2025 school year.