Darlington County Board of Education approves 20 percent raise for bus drivers, custodians, food service employees

DARLINGTON, S.C. – The Darlington County Board of Education reinforced its goal this month to keep pay rates highly competitive across the board for employees. At the recommendation of Darlington County School District (DCSD) Superintendent Dr. Tim Newman, the Board approved at its June meeting a 20 percent pay hike for all bus drivers, custodians and food service workers in the district. 

Newman said it is vital to show our current employees and potential future employees that the district is committed to taking care of its staff. 

“These classified staff are some of the hardest working employees we have,” Newman said. “They interact directly with our students and staff every single day. Many of them are the first and last faces our children interact with on a school day. I applaud the Board for approving this pay increase, and DCSD appreciates all of our employees.” 

The raise came included in the proposed operating budget for the 2021-22 that district administration presented to the Board for second reading. With the 20 percent increase, the starting hourly rates in DCSD for those positions are as follows:

Bus Drivers -   $14.38

Custodians -    $12.85

Food Service - $12.60