The Cherokee County School District could finish its most recent school year with an additional $500,000 in revenue.

This figure is a preliminary finding from an audit report being completed by Gaffney accountant Ben Kochenower. The audit of the district's finances is expected to be done by the end of the month.

The district is on track to finish with $5.4 million in budget reserves from the 2008-2009 school year. While it's short of the district's preferred 10 percent reserve, Cherokee County Superintendent Dr. Bill James said the positive financial outlook is welcome news as schools resume class Monday.

"We outperformed our budget remarkably well last school year," James said. "Our principals did a really good job of tightening their belts and keeping a tight rein on school expenses."

School trustees made tentative plans Monday to spend some of the unexpected windfall to help school office staffs.

The school board approved $110,000 to upgrade its school information system clerks to the same pay scale as secretaries. The clerks specialize in updating attendance and student records that state law requires schools to maintain.

The salary increase is pending the results of the audit and any mid-year budget cuts that could alter the district's financial outlook.

Several principals have requested full-time staff positions to handle the record-keeping duties.

"It's hard to upgrade one group of clerks in a school without doing the same at another school," James said. "We feel this would be a fair way to help these clerks by placing them on the secretary pay scale."

James said the district will make any pay raise given to the clerks retroactive to July 1, which was the start of the current budget year.