High court wants lawmakers’ school funding answer by summer

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The South Carolina Supreme Court has eliminated periodic deadlines it gave the Legislature to fix school funding problems, instead telling lawmakers they want a final answer on their plan within a week of the end of next year’s session.

The justices issued an order Thursday saying they will review the General Assembly’s report and then decide whether they should continue to oversee the case started when poor, rural districts sued the state 22 years ago.

The original order by the Supreme Court gave lawmakers a Feb. 1 deadline.

The justices want lawmakers to pass a bill that complies with a November order to adequately fund rural schools.

Lawmakers were angry about the February deadline. House Speaker Jay Lucas said Thursday he is glad the justices changed their arbitrary deadline.