Legislative Update November 22, 2011

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

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 who are 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

Vouchers / Tuition Tax Credits (S.414) What Can Our Board Do? Communicate to legislative delegation, staff, parents, and community provisions of bill Pass Board resolution in oposition to legislation Write opinion columns, letters to editor, etc. in opposition to legislation

Charter School Revisions (H.3241) Highlights Lower requirement for charter school conversion to a majority of returned pre-mailed ballots from those eligible to vote Mandate that districts allow any school to convert to charter school including use of supplies free of charge for life of charter or ten years Allow charter school students to participate in extracurricular activities at resident school, if such activities are not offered at the charter school South Carolina School Boards Association Position Resolve issues by placing all charter schools under state district’s sponsorship. In the interim, allow an exemption for charter schools under local district control to finish their term and amend bill to (1) give traditional public schools same exemptions as charter schools and (2) allow sponsoring district to retain up to 2% of charter school’s funds . Status Passed House Bill resides in Senate, and has undergone two readings

Charter School Revisions (H.3241) What Can Our Board Do? Seek support from legislative delegation for two amendments to Senate version of Bill: First amendment Requires a referendum vote for all affected taxpayers/voters if a public school proposed for conversion to charter school carries financial debt Second amendment (only if first amendment fails) Change the conversion procedures back to current law Seek support from legislative delegation of provisions of Bill that SCSBA supports

Upcoming Event January 10, 2012 SCSBA’s funding proposal: S.C. Education Finance Restructing Act (EFFRA) Scott Price, SCSBA General Council

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 previous years Nearly four out of five SC students passed the state’s high school exit exam on their first attempt in 2010