Florence School District One and Two’s Boards of Trustees voted unanimously in favor of a shared district services partnership with Florence School District Four that will provide high quality administrative services for the students and staff in Timmonsville while saving hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“The actions taken by Florence School District One and Two this week shows that we can work across district lines for the betterment of our students and save money in the process,” said State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman. “ I am excited about the high quality services and additional opportunities that will be coming to the students and families of Florence Four next school year and know that the cost savings will lead to better financial stability and use of resources.”
On May 9, 2018, State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman declared a state of emergency and took over management Florence School District Four due to chronic financial instability. The school district’s population has dwindled 32% in the past ten years to just over 600 students. The district’s office administrative costs were over $1.2 million annually, nearly $2000 per child. Since declaring a state of emergency, Superintendent Spearman and the South Carolina Department of Education have been working diligently to pursue contracts with surrounding school districts and private providers in order to create a sustainable level of operations and management for the future.
Through the shared services agreement, Florence School District One will provide services in the areas of curriculum, instruction, professional development, special education, human resources, finance, and food service in exchange for $345,874 in funding, a cost savings of $213,389 from Florence Four’s previous fiscal year budget. Florence School District Two will provide custodial, maintenance, and grounds services at an annual cost of $285,983, a savings of $251,927. The total amounts represent cost savings of over $600,000 in the Florence School District Four annual budget.
