Reaction to SC Supreme Court’s education ruling

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Here are some of the reactions to the state Supreme Court’s ruling Wednesday that legislators have failed to provide students in poor, rural school districts the opportunity to succeed.

State Senate Minority Leader Nikki Setzler, D-West Columbia:

“A child’s educational opportunities should not be limited to where a child is born or the social economic status of the family the child is born to. As a state we have an obligation to provide the best quality education for our children. This is a huge win for the Palmetto State. I look forward to working in a bi-partisan manner with my colleagues.”

State Sen. John Matthews, D-Bowman, a retired principal who testified in court for the districts:

“As someone who represents school districts within the corridor of shame, I can tell you first-hand this will have a significant impact on the future of those school districts. … If we (in South Carolina) want our children to effectively compete in an ever-changing global society, we must do whatever it takes to make sure our children’s opportunities are not defined by where they live.”

Scott Price, executive director-elect of the state School Boards Association:

“The court in its ruling clearly states that the mechanism for funding our schools is broken and more significantly, cited the state’s failure to meet its constitutional duty. … We are finalizing a funding plan that addresses the issues raised by the court, especially the need to place students at the forefront of decision-making and policy.”

Bud Ferillo, producer and director of the 2005 documentary “Corridor of Shame: The Neglect of South Carolina’s Rural Schools”:

“If you live long enough and are on the side of history, you can win. This is an unambiguous victory for all school children in South Carolina, 52 percent of whom live in poverty, far more than those when the suit was filed in 1993. … We must hope (legislators) will begin a multi-year effort to bring high quality education, not a minimally adequate one, to all our school districts.”

Regina Hitchcock, director for StudentsFirst South Carolina:

“Today’s long-awaited ruling is a resounding response to the pleading voices of rural and low-income districts struggling to educate our children. It underscores the critical importance of turning around our lowest performing schools and getting a great teacher in every classroom, regardless of the race, income-class, or ZIP code of those students.