1. Legislative Update
April 21, 2015

2. House Education Policy Review and Reform Task Force
Task force made up of lawmakers, educators, business leaders, and school leaders
Report due to Speaker of House at beginning of next legislative session
Task force will study:
State’s education funding system
School year calendar with emphasis on fulfilling
number of credits required to graduate
Education standards
Requirements of school districts with goal to
eliminate unfunded mandates

3. Odds & Ends
Proviso 1.68
Establishes statewide tuition credit for exceptional needs children
Language to expand definition striked
Added language to increase accountability for Scholarship Funding Organizations
S.0638 Equal Access to Interscholastic Activities Act
Amendment to allow private school students to access athletic and extracurricular activities in public schools within their attendance zone

4. Tuition Tax Credits, Vouchers (H.3072)
Provides nonprofit scholarship funding to provide grants for defraying educational costs for exceptional needs children
Provides tax credits for individuals or businesses that make contributions made to nonprofit scholarship funding
H.3072
Introduced and referred to House Committee on Ways and Means (1/13/15)

5. Appointed State Superintendent of Education (H.3041)
Amend Constitution of South Carolina to delete State Superintendent of Education from list of elected state officers
Provide that State Superintendent of Education be appointed by Governor
H.3041
Second reading on House floor favorable (3/25/15)
Recommitted to House Committee on Judiciary (3/26/15)

6. Freedom of Information Act (S.11 and H.3192)
Public body must give written public notice, including time and location, of regular meetings at beginning of each calendar year
Public body must provide agenda for all regularly scheduled meetings in a publicly accessible place (e.g., bulletin board at meeting place, website, etc.)
No additional agenda items can be added without an additional twenty-four hours notice to the public
Agenda items added later than twenty-four hours before the meeting can only be added by two-thirds vote of the body, only if an emergency exists
S.11
Reported out Favorably by Senate Committee on Judiciary (1/28/15)
Approved and read third time by Senate (2/3/15 )
Introduced in House and referred to House Committee on Judiciary (2/4/15)
H.3192
Reported out Favorably by House Committee on Judiciary (2/11/15)
Approved and read third time by House (2/17/15)
Introduced in Senate and referred to Senate Committee on Judiciary (2/18/15)

7. Freedom of Information Act (H.3191)
Cut Freedom of Information Act request time from fifteen days to ten days
Establishes “Office of Freedom of Information” within Administrative Law Court to avoid lawsuits
Sets limits on cost for document search and copies
H.3191
Reported out Favorably by House Committee on Judiciary (2/11/15)
Approved and read third time by House (2/18/15)
Introduced in Senate and referred to Senate Committee on Judiciary (2/24/15)

8. South Carolina Jobs, Education and Tax Act (H.3672)
Developed over the past few years by coalition of education groups
Goal is to provide equitable, stable, and sound revenue source for public schools
Will bring transparency and simplification of education funding
Property tax relief for business, manufacturing and non-owner occupied properties
H.3672
Introduced and referred to House Committee on Ways and Means (2/17/15)

9. Stand Up for Public Education

10. Our Aiken County Schools are Succeeding!
Remember Earth Day – April 22, 2015
Elementary students create eco-friendly bags
Available at local grocery stores on Earth Day
Our Aiken County Schools are Succeeding!