This month, the governing board of South Carolina’s fourth-largest school district voted to terminate its membership with the S.C. School Boards Association (SCSBA). The decision came via an 8-1 vote by the Berkeley County School Board on July 7, immediately taking effect.
A key point of discussion at the Monday night board meeting was the cost of continued membership.
Chairwoman Sally Wofford said the district’s annual membership dues were roughly $47,500, with a total annual bill to SCSBA of $50,400. That amount does not include the cost of attending events, which is an additional expense, according to Mrs. Wofford.
To put that figure in perspective, the starting teacher salary in South Carolina is $48,500.
Berkeley would appear to be the first school district in the state to exit SCSBA, at least in recent history. Last year, the association drew criticism for policy guidance that would allow students to use locker rooms and restrooms based on their asserted gender rather than their biological sex, matters that are already firmly addressed in state law or proviso.
School boards in several other states have ended their relationships with legacy school boards associations over the past year, including in Virginia, Ohio, and Wisconsin.