SDOC Budget moves closer to passage

Despite continuing debate over the state budget, the School District of Oconee County (SDOC) is moving closer to finalizing their budget for fiscal year 2016-17. Monday night, the Board of Trustees for the SDOC held a public hearing on the proposed budget, explains Assistant Superintendent of Operations Steve Hanvey. “We had our public hearing on the budget and didn’t have a lot of participation from the crowd but we shared information again with the board. We continue to work through that process, but it is a little difficult because we are still waiting on the state to make some final decisions and for the Senate and House to get their final budgets worked out. SDOC Finance Director Gloria Moore does a good job in our office taking care of that. We are working with county council as well as we have visited with them twice to share our budget information and request. So, we hope to have that for final approval here in the next couple of weeks and then find out what the state is going to do later on at the end of June.” The proposed $92 million budget includes a 2% pay raise for employees and a 1% increase in the cost of insurance premiums.