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Legislative Update

Stay informed on key bills affecting South Carolina's education system - consolidation, vouchers, and charter school revisions. Learn the South Carolina School Boards Association positions and upcoming events.

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Legislative Update

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  1. Legislative Update November 22, 2011

  2. Consolidation Bill (H.3495/S.432) Highlights • Bill to create five member committee • Study feasibility and cost effectiveness of consolidating school districts within county South Carolina School Boards Association Position • Support formation of committee • Affected districts should decide by referendum Status • Resides on House floor • Committee members appointed by Governor, Legistators, State Superintendent of Education

  3. Vouchers / Tuition Tax Credits (S.414) Highlights • Dollar for dollar state income tax credit for tuition paid for students who transfer from public to private schools • Dollar for dollar state income tax credit for tuition paid for students whoare already enrolled in private school • Reimbursement of expenses ($1,000) for home schooling of students • Imposes additional student assessment and reporting requirements for private schools and state organizations South Carolina School Boards Association Position • Opposes state or federally-mandated efforts to directly or indirectly subsidize private, religious, or home schools with public funds Status • House Bill defeated in 2011 • Same Bill resides in Senate Education Committee

  4. Vouchers / Tuition Tax Credits (S.414) WhatCan Our Board Do? • Communicate to legislativedelegation, staff, parents, and community provisions of bill • PassBoardresolution in oposition to legislation • Write opinion columns, letters to editor, etc. in opposition to legislation

  5. Charter School Revisions (H.3241) Highlights • Lowerrequirement for charter schoolconversion to a majorityof returnedpre-mailed ballots fromthoseeligible to vote • Mandate that districts allowanyschool to convert to charter schoolincluding use of supplies free of charge for life of charter or tenyears • Allow charter schoolstudents to participate in extracurricularactivitiesatresidentschool, if suchactivities are not offeredat the charter school South Carolina School Boards Association Position • Resolve issues by placing all charter schoolsunder state district’ssponsorship. • In the interim, allow an exemption for charter schoolsunder local district control to finish theirterm and amend bill to (1) givetraditional public schoolssame exemptions as charter schools and (2) allow sponsoring district to retain up to 2% of charter school’sfunds . Status • Passed House • Bill resides in Senate, and has undergonetworeadings

  6. Charter School Revisions (H.3241) WhatCan Our Board Do? • Seek support fromlegislativedelegation for twoamendments to Senate version of Bill: First amendment • Requires a referendum vote for all affectedtaxpayers/voters if a public schoolproposed for conversion to charter school carries financialdebt Second amendment (only if first amendmentfails) • Change the conversion procedures back to currentlaw • Seek support fromlegislativedelegationof provisions of Bill that SCSBA supports

  7. Upcoming Event January 10, 2012 SCSBA’sfundingproposal: S.C. Education Finance RestructingAct (EFFRA) Scott Price, SCSBA General Council

  8. South Carolina Public Schools are Succeeding! • Larger percentages of SC students met state standards on 2011 administration of Palmetto Assessment of State Standards (PASS) Test • Larger percentages of SC students scored at exemplary levels on PASS Test • More than 800 fewer SC students dropped out of high school in 2010 than in previousyears • Nearly four out of five SC studentspassed the state’s high school exit exam on their first attempt in 2010

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