RESPONDING TO COVID-19

As Palmetto Promise has previously reported, South Carolina public schools are on the receiving end of an “unprecedented” $3.4 billion in one-time pandemic-related funds. South Carolina lawmakers have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to wisely steward these resources to support students and families who have been most dramatically impacted by school closures and lack-luster remote learning, as well as expand innovation and create unprecedented transparency.

“SAFE Grants have created the opportunity for our family and families like ours to truly have school choice, give our children the chance to succeed and give us the ability to fully support their learning needs.” Columbia, SC “I have three children. My oldest is 23. She chose to commission into the army and she’s

“The public-school district was looking at four to six hours in front of a computer for virtual learning. Developmentally, that’s just not appropriate for a four-year-old with Down syndrome.” Janie Neeley has a four-year-old son with Down Syndrome. In late Spring, she decided to enroll her son in K4 at their local public elementary school

Public policy work can never be ho-hum, when you realize that it’s all about making people’s lives better! That’s why we’ve dedicated ourselves to sharing the stories of real people and promoting policy solutions that provide real relief for our South Carolina neighbors. Amid the Coronavirus fallout, there is no better example of impactful, common sense policy than SAFE Grants, which would open up new education hope for struggling low- and moderate-income families. These grants would provide qualified families with the financial support they

To set the record straight, we offer these visuals to put $32 million in perspective.

Palmetto Promise is represented by national school choice attorneys from the Liberty Justice Center. COLUMBIA, S.C. (July 28, 2020) — Today, Palmetto Promise Institute asked an Orangeburg, S.C. judge to allow the governor’s new Safe Access to Flexible Education (SAFE) Grants program to move forward. If the judge sides with Palmetto Promise, thousands of students

How does Governor McMaster's $32 million SAFE Grants program compare to other education related COVID relief funding?

PPI’s Senior Fellow Dr. Oran Smith wrote an opinion piece focusing on why South Carolina should invest in building a robust online learning catalog. This op-ed was first featured in The Lexington County Chronicle.   This month we reach the 35th anniversary of the premiere of the original “Back to the Future.” The blockbuster movie’s plot

As politicians and education leaders debate what education will look like in the fall, many South Carolina families who have not homeschooled in the past have taken the bold step of opting out of the public school system entirely, and choosing to educate their children at home. Palmetto Promise Institute reached out to homeschooling accountability

On Wednesday, a Senate Legislative Oversight Subcommittee met to discuss and hear from experts on reopening schools in the Fall. Of particular interest to Senators: how we can reach the over 10,000 South Carolina students that are unaccounted for since the start of the pandemic. Back in late May, Palmetto Promise examined the variables surrounding