Fort Mill School District spent $10.8 million more than it collected in the first month of the new fiscal year.

Finance Director Leanne Lordo presented the figures to the school board Tuesday, Sept. 1. The district closed July 31 with $11.4 million in revenue against $22.2 million in expenditures, according to WRHI's report on the meeting. The $10,837,818 gap came from the district's fund balance. Vehicle tax collections for the period totaled $2.4 million.

Lordo's report also showed impact-fee collections running ahead of last year's pace. August collections reached $917,172, topping the 2025 calendar-year monthly average of $848,076. The district has now collected $85.7 million in impact fees to date, plus $7.5 million in interest.

The district tracks 5,311 impact-fee-eligible residential units: 3,023 single-family and 2,288 multi-family. August added 12 single-family homes and 27 multi-family units.

Fort Mill has submitted $92.6 million in impact-fee claims to York County for two schools in the Flint Hill area: $67.3 million for Flint Hill Elementary and $25.3 million for Flint Hill Middle. Flint Hill Middle, at 360 Gold Hill Road, opened in August with roughly 1,000 students and was built to ease overcrowding at Fort Mill and Pleasant Knoll middle schools.

Lordo reported a $24.125 million installment purchase revenue bond refunding was scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 2.

New courses approved

The board voted to approve more than two dozen new courses presented by Dr. Gales Scroggs. The additions span multiple grade levels and include AP Research, Honors Zoology, Pre-AP Biology, Pre-AP US History, JROTC Leadership Lab 1–4, Criminal Justice, Model UN/Debate, Mock Trial, Musical Theatre and History of Sport, among others.

Middle school students gain a new Theater Arts course. The slate also adds ESOL levels 1–8 and several transition courses in math, English and reading.

Recognitions

The board recognized Fort Mill High School for winning the Carlisle Cup for the 2025–2026 academic year. It was only the second time in school history. Fort Mill High scored 1,130 points, beating second-place Chapin by 110, and won five team state championships: boys and girls cross-country, boys and girls track, and boys wrestling.

Athletic director Dwayne Hartsoe was honored for his selection to the South Carolina Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. In July, when the Carlisle Cup win was announced, Hartsoe called it a "great accomplishment for our entire athletic family," according to Fort Mill Prep Sports.

The board also recognized staff members marking 25 and 30 years of service. Superintendent Grey Young presented the Red Nose Award and gave an update on enrollment and attendance, though specific figures were not released publicly.

Annual training for PTO, PTA and booster club officers is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 30.