School choice supporters plan to move forward with new bill despite legal challenge

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) — Are you a parent who does not like the school your child is zoned to attend?

A study by the National School Choice Awareness Foundation has shown that many parents in South Carolina feel this way.

However, it has raised a controversy about school choice and where to draw the line.

It’s really an issue of public school choice versus private school choice. One would allow students to pick another school in their district without using any taxpayer dollars, the other involves what those against school choice call using public funds for private schools… something that is still being debated in the statehouse this legislative session. 

“Children have all kinds of different learning styles. We heard that after what happened during COVID,” said Rep. Shannon Erickson, a Republican from Beaufort.

Last year, lawmakers focused on school choice which allows students to attend schools outside of their attendance zone.

“We have learned through this process that parents across this state are demanding educational choice,” said House speaker Murrell Smith.

Public school choice refers to students being able to attend another public school despite living in a particular attendance zone. 

“We passed it through the House. It’s sitting in the Senate. I would welcome them to take it up and get it back to us,” Erickson said. “I think that’s also what parents have asked us for. That’s already been done by the House.”

The public school choice bill passed 91 to 25 in the House. Kambrell Garvin was one of 7 Democrats who voted for the bill.

“I fully support public school choice to enable parents to decide what public school they want to send their child to in a particular district,” Garvin said. “However, when you start talking about taking money and needed resources away from our public schools, that’s unacceptable.”

Garvin as well as fellow House member Heather Bauer are against the school choice bill which was signed by the governor last year. This allows up to $6,000 to be used to cover tuition and other costs of letting a student attend a private school. 

“This is really a facade to get money to private and religious schools. This money should be going to public schools,” Bauer said. “We have public schools across the state that are underfunded.”

School choice supporters argue that the funds used for these education scholarship accounts come from the state’s general fund and not money assigned to public schools. 

“No this is not a backpacking bill where the dollars are moving out of our education system,” Erickson said. “This is a separate and distinct funding mechanism.”

Lawmakers in the House hope to expand the school choice bill this legislative session despite last year’s school choice bill facing a legal challenge in the state Supreme Court next week.

State superintendent of education Ellen Weaver believes the bill will withstand the challenge and help all schools in South Carolina. 

“This is really an all-of-the-above, not an either-or or zero sum game,” Weaver said. “We can do all of these  things to make sure every child can get into the environment where they can learn best.”

Superintendent Weaver adds that other things she is working on to improve education in the state are increased teacher pay as well as an emphasis on early literacy for students in Kindergarten through 3rd grade.