Announcing the Launch of the South Carolina Universal School Choice Coalition!

COLUMBIA, SC — Palmetto Promise Institute announced today that a new statewide effort, the South Carolina Universal School Choice Coalition, has officially launched. The Coalition and its individual signatories will focus on advancing a universal school choice framework—one that expands access to high-quality educational opportunities for every student across the state.

“Members of this coalition embrace a shared commitment to ensuring that all families can choose the educational setting that best meets their children’s needs,” said Ryan Dellinger, Director of Education Policy at Palmetto Promise. “Grounded in the principle that parents are best positioned to make decisions about their children’s education, our coalition will work for universal availability of all educational options in South Carolina,” Dellinger said.

A “universal” school choice framework would provide all families, without restriction, access to a wide range of educational models, including public schools, public charter schools, independent schools, faith-based schools, and homeschooling. The Coalition emphasizes that such an approach is designed to empower families, respect parental rights, and create an environment in which all students can succeed.

“Americans for Prosperity-South Carolina (AFP-SC) strongly supports education freedom. Education is an issue that affects every family, regardless of income or background,” said Matt Humm, State Director of AFP-SC.  “Families deserve to be able to choose the education options that are best for their children. We look forward to working with Palmetto Promise and this coalition to ensure that South Carolina has an education system that works for all families.”

The Coalition supports a policy framework built on several key principles:

• Broad and Simple Eligibility: Ensuring all families can participate without unnecessary complexity or limitations based on income or geography.
• Portability of Funding: Allowing education funding to follow students to the learning environment that best fits their needs, while maintaining adequate resources across all school types.
• Parental Control with Accountability: Prioritizing parent-directed decision-making alongside appropriate safeguards for academic quality, financial transparency, and student safety.
• Respect for Diverse Educational Models: Recognizing that a variety of school options better serves students with different needs, learning styles, and values.

The Coalition also highlights how a well-designed universal school choice approach can support and strengthen all sectors of education. Public schools may benefit from increased innovation and responsiveness to family needs. Public charter schools can experience greater flexibility and improved access. Independent and faith-based schools may become more accessible to a broader range of families while maintaining their distinct missions. Homeschool families may gain expanded access to educational resources and services.

“With this new coalition, we are calling for collaboration among members of the General Assembly, executive agency leaders, and stakeholders across the state to advance a thoughtful and effective universal school choice framework,” said Wendy Damron, Palmetto Promise President & CEO.

In short, the goal of the coalition is to drive a conversation on how South Carolina can prioritize students, and expand educational opportunity, not for some children, but for all.

Read the full letter below.