North Myrtle Beach Times Serving our Community and the Grand Strand for over 50 years
By Ruben Lowman
Following a board retreat and a comprehensive budget unveiling last week, Horry County Schools’ Superintendent Clifford Jones has laid out a vision for the 2026–27 school year that is as much about “unplugging” as it is about “leveling up.”
The headline is a staggering $1.2 billion budget, a record-breaking figure that officials said would also avoid a property tax increase.
Jones is also proposing to decrease the use of technology and screens in the classroom and by students in general.
The plan includes a 10 p.m. blackout, using the Linewise monitoring system to remotely shut down all district-issued laptops overnight. While Jones admitted to some “parental pushback,” he remains firm that “technology can now be a distraction to the learning process.”
Officials are also proposing Tech-Free Tuesdays (or Wednesdays), giving principals the autonomy to designate one day every week as a “technology-free day,” forcing a return to the age of the No. 2 pencil and yellow legal pad.
The board has said they could also potentially remove one-to-one devices from K-1 classrooms entirely, with Jones saying, “Nothing hurts my soul more than seeing a kindergartner taking a diagnostic test on a computer within their first 30 days of school.”
The budget isn’t just about combating technology reliance and screentime, it’s also fighting the local labor market.
Board member Darrell Ricketts took the time to explain last week, noting that trained teacher’s aides are leaving HCS to work at convenience stores for higher pay.
In response, the district is aggressively pushing starting teacher salaries to $54,138, which is above the state mandate of $50,500, and raising support staff pay to $16.50 an hour, with a long-term “North Star” goal of $18.
To ensure these highly-paid professionals are actually in the room, the budget carves out a $3 million attendance bonus pool.
“If you’re a teacher, I need you in front of kids,” Jones told the board. “There’s not a sub for payroll.”
To fund this $1.2 billion machine without raising taxes, the district has conducted a massive internal audit, reportedly “trimming” $120 million in waste across various departments.
This included the reduction of 45 separate budgets within the district office itself, cuts made without a single job loss among the 406-person central staff.
While the digital world is seemingly shrinking, the physical footprint is rapidly expanding.
The capital plan highlights over $100 million in construction and renovations, led by a $52.5 million new elementary school in the St. James area.
A preliminary vote is scheduled for Monday, May 18, with the final public hearing and official adoption set for Monday, June 8.
