1. Legislative Update
May 28, 2013

2. FY2013-2014 Budget Senate Passes Budget (5/24/13)
Base Student Cost of $2,101, up from current $2,012, below $2,771 statutorily required
Proviso requiring teacher salary step increase
Proviso to allow districts to uniformly negotiate salaries for retired teachers
Monies ($26M) for phase-in of 4-year-old kindergarten program for Child Development Education Program Bill
Monies for summer reading camps for Read to Succeed Bill
Monies ($23.5M) for new school buses
School Choice – One-year issuance of state income tax credits for private school tuition for disabled students
School Choice - Private school teachers can deduct $275 for school supplies from state income tax

3. Joint Resolutions
Resolution (H.3453) extending time to extend teacher contracts from April 15th to May 15th
Ratified and Signed by Governor on May 3rd

4. Exemption from Secretary of State Filing (S.0250)
Bill passed House and Senate (5/17/13)
Exempts public schools and districts from filing requirements with the Secretary of State
Bill enrolled for ratification

5. 4-K Child Development Program (S.0134)
Reported out favorably by Senate Education
Committee (5/9/13)
Full day 4-year-old kindergarten program for at-risk children
Set standards and funding levels

6. SC Read to Succeed (S.0516) Reported out favorably by Senate Education
Committee (5/9/13)
Students not reading on grade level at the end of the third grade would be retained for reading instruction
Students would do summer work or get intensive reading instruction the following school year
Teachers would also be required to do training
Children in kindergarten would receive a reading-readiness test before entering school to identify learning barriers
The bill would be paid for by a portion of $6 million set aside for reading improvement

7. Parent Empowerment Act (S.0556)
Resides in Senate Education Committee (3/20/13)
Parents have ability to assume control of an “at-risk” school
Parents representing 51% of students can:
Convert school to (1) charter school, (2) turnaround model, (3) restart model, or (4) transformational model
Replace some of school’s administration
Close school
Turnaround model – Principal replaced and school staff screened with no more than 50% rehired
Restart model – Convert school to a charter school or close and reopen under charter school operator
Transformational Model – District implements strategies that include developing and increasing teacher and school leader effectiveness, instructional reform, increasing community involvement

8. Tuition Tax Credits / Vouchers (S.0279)
Resides in Senate Committee on Finance (1/23/13)
Similar to Bill that died in Senate in 2012
Plan could cost $36 million
State income tax deduction of up to $4,000 for tuition paid by the parent or legal guardian for child to attend an independent school, $1,000 for tuition paid by parent or legal guardian for child to attend public school outside of their resident district, $2,000 per home school student
Tax credits (sixty percent of taxpayers liability) for contributions made to non-profit scholarship funding organizations that would provide ‘grants’ to eligible students to attend a qualifying independent school
‘Accountability’ provision includes requirement for all students be administered national achievement or state standardized tests

9. School Choice (S.0313) Resides in Senate Education Committee (4/25/13)
Districts, over a three year period, have to provide education program choices (i.e., public charter schools, vitural school programs, single gender, magnet schools)
– State Department of Education establish program and develop
open enrollment pilot program
– Districts convene school choice committee to develop plan
– Districts begin implementation of school choice program
– Districts develop plans for Open Enrollment
– Parents may enroll child in any public school in state without
paying tuition
District Board adopts policies for individual school capacities, standards of approval, priority of acceptance

10. High School League (H.3229) Reported out favorably by Senate Education
Committee (5/13/13)
Bill passed full House on 3/20/13
Amendment to leave High School League intact
Amendment to require independent appeals panel
Amendment to improvement state-wide representation in High School League
Read first time in Senate

11. Freedom of Information Act (H.3163)
Resides in House Judiciary Committee (3/20/13)
Amendment to end Legislative Exemption
Concern from constituents about personal information becomming available through Act
House does not have staff to comply with Act

12. School Security (S.0249)
Resides in Senate Committee on Finance (1/16/13)
Require a state-funded School Resource Officer in
each school
Start in
Supplied by city and county governments
District pays cost using state allocation
Cost estimate - $80 million

13. Aiken County Schools are Succeeding!
Congratulations !
Class of 2013