SC Senate may swap 4K expansion for local aid

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The Senate Judiciary chairman says restoring aid to local governments should be a higher priority than expanding 4-year-old kindergarten.

Sen. Larry Martin recommended Tuesday taking $16 million in local aid off a budget wish list and putting money toward expanding full-day 4K on it. The swap would still leave $8 million in additional money for at-risk 4-year-olds in the regular budget.

The Finance Committee’s budget plan funded the expansion partly by cutting local aid and putting that $16 million near the top of a list to be funded if the state collects more revenue than currently projected. Martin says that’s not fair.

Martin believes there will be money to fund both, but putting it on the surplus list means local officials can’t count on it as they craft their budgets.