SC students could go to any public school in the state under bill passed by House
South Carolina parents are closer to having more say in where their children attend school after a widely supported educational choice measure cleared the S.C. House in March.
The bill — H.3843 — is a school choice proposal that would allow parents to enroll their children in any school statewide, regardless of zoning, provided the desired school has availability. The House passed the bill by a vote of 91-25 last week. The Senate will now consider the proposal.
This bill “is the closest thing to real choice that the General Assembly has moving, and I commend the House for starting with this as opposed to education scholarship accounts or tax credits that do not ensure accessibility for all students,” said Patrick Kelly, a public school teacher and director of government affairs for the Palmetto State Teachers Association.
State Rep. Shannon Erickson, who chairs the House Education and Public Works Committee and is the proposal’s lead sponsor, said during a House floor debate that the plan was to allow parents and children to decide which school best suits their family, adding that the program is an extension of a “tried and true method” currently used by several districts around the state.
School districts such as Richland 2 and Greenville County, for example, already use a school choice program, allowing students to apply to attend any public school within the district, despite zoning. But the student’s choice is subject to school availability and district policy.
While the bill received overwhelming support inside and outside the State House, including from the Palmetto State Teachers and School Board associations, some policymakers voiced concern over how the program would impact underperforming schools.
“The fear that I have is that we exacerbate the struggles that the poor county schools are going through from (student) flight to proximate high schools within a more well-to-do district,” state Rep. Roger Kirby, D-Florence, said on the House floor last month.
Erickson, however, said the bill would have the opposite effect, motivating surrounding schools to become more competitive in the interest of attracting students.
“We’re not seeing schools that are emptying out, we’re seeing districts kind of level out,” Erickson, R-Beaufort, said, referring to districts that already use a limited version of what the bill proposes.
Critics also argue that public school choice options may result in overcrowded schools, but Erickson said her bill includes parameters to prevent that from happening.
“If the school … is already full, there’s nobody else going to that school,” Erickson said. “You can’t move an entire high school into another high school because there isn’t going to be space available for that.”
State regulations say the maximum number of students cannot exceed 35 for every teacher. In 2023, South Carolina’s average ratio was 15 to 1, according to the Public School Review, a website that tracks school data nationally.
State Rep. Russell Ott, D-Calhoun, raised another concern involving student transportation.
“So, we’re giving options to parents to send kids where they want to go if the district provides the option of getting them there,” Ott said.
Commonly, public school choice options leave parents responsible for providing transportation to their desired school, which, some say, creates a disadvantage for low-income students whose parents may lack the necessary resources for travel.
Erickson’s proposal would leave it to school districts to determine how a student’s transportation needs will be met.
Earlier this year, the S.C. Senate passed two bills advancing school choice. One measure would allow 15,000 students to get $6,000 in state money to cover private school tuition and other costs, including transportation, internet and books.
Another Senate proposal expands a program already in place, called Academic Choice in Education, which provides an income tax credit for those who contribute to a scholarship fund that provides grants for students to attend private schools or to get home school instruction.
This story was originally published April 7, 2023 at 5:00 AM with the headline "SC students could go to any public school in the state under bill passed by House."
