Legislative Update December 6, 2011

Education Funding Reform Highlights Comprehensive education funding reform plan – South Carolina Education Finance Restructuring Act (EFRA) Organizations involved: SCSBA, SCASA, SCASBO, Childs & Halligan-P.A., Dr. Harry Miley Maintains state and local funding partnership  State levies uniform millage rate of 100 mills  Existing state revenues rolled up into fewer funds  Funds allocated to districts on per pupil basis known as Base Student Funding (BSF), estimated to be $5,232 in 2012  Local districts allowed to levy local millage for district operations and facility needs up to 8% of assessed value of taxable property

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

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 fundsStatus 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

South Carolina Public Schools are Succeeding!  Larger percentages of SC students passed high school End-Of-course (EOC) exams, with the achievement gap narrowing in most areas. Algebra 1 showed biggest improvement, where A to C grades increased from 55.3% in 2009 to 61.3% in  SC is one of only a few states that have increased high school seniors’s scores on the ACT over the past five years despite dranmatically greater numbers of test-takers.  SC Class of 2011 earned more than $960 million in college scholarships.