S.C. House bill to help rural schools introduced

A bill aimed at committing state money to helping impoverished school districts replace or repair aging facilities was among eight proposals introduced Thursday in the S.C. House.

Another bill would allow the state to take control of a school district that is failing financially. Under current law, the state has that power only if a district is failing academically.

The facilities proposal follows calls from the governor and state schools chief this month for the state to do more to improve K-12 public school buildings, some crumbling from years of neglect.

Gov. Nikki Haley has proposed borrowing up to $200 million a year for school facilities. That would create a new source of money for school districts. Now responsible for building and maintaining their own schools, districts in impoverished, rural areas often struggle to raise enough money just to replace roofs, much less renovate schools.

The proposal aimed at improving school facilities, sponsored by House Education Committee chairwoman Rita Allison, R-Spartanburg, would create an authority that could borrow money on the state’s behalf to spend on school facilities.

The bill does not specify how the state would pay for the program, how much it would spend or how the money would be distributed to school districts. Those details will be worked out this session, Allison said, adding she has asked for the money to be committed annually.

“This would not be a one-year, two-year situation,” she said.

The bill lays the foundation for allowing school districts that cannot afford to repay loans to receive direct aid from the state.

Districts in better financial shape could borrow money for building work, Allison said. To qualify for state assistance, all districts would need to undergo an efficiency study identifying ways they can save money. They also will have to report their building maintenance plans.

The proposal also calls for school districts to get more state money if they consolidate and are able to save money on operations costs.

This story was originally published January 28, 2016 at 10:04 PM with the headline "S.C. House bill to help rural schools introduced."