Governor Henry McMaster recently signed S.454 into law, enacting a plethora of reforms to the public charter school sector. Originally conceived to address the (then-impending) closure of Limestone University and the affiliated Limestone Charter Association, S.454 has been hotly debated and heavily amended during its journey through the legislative process. Now that the dust has
Charleston County School District has created quite the stir in the charter school sector over the last couple of days – first by suggesting amendments to a piece of legislation that reforms and strengthens how charter school authorizers function in South Carolina (amendments that would create different requirements and oversight mechanisms for local and statewide
Palmetto Promise Director of Education Policy Ryan Dellinger is quoted in this article, originally published in the South Carolina Daily Gazette, discussing a bill that would opt South Carolina in to the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact. We submitted written testimony on this bill as well, which you can read here. Columbia, S.C. (South Carolina Daily
What a year 2025 has been for the state of South Carolina! With a 2026 election cycle well underway (including a series of Statehouse special elections in recent days) and a busy initial year of the two-year legislative session, there has been no shortage of political activity. As we prepare for the 2026 legislative session, we would like to take a moment to reflect on the impact Palmetto Promise Institute has had on
On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed into law what may be the most significant federal school choice measure in American history. This new law, which includes Section 25F of the Internal Revenue Code, creates a permanent federal tax credit for donations to Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs). And it is nothing short of a game-changer.
In May 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives passed President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” a sweeping policy package that includes the Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA), a $5 billion annual tax credit scholarship program that could significantly expand educational freedom for families across the country. This legislation, long championed by parents and
This article was originally published in The Lion. Up to 10,000 South Carolina students will be eligible for school choice this fall after Gov. Henry McMaster signed legislation restoring and expanding the state’s previous program. The Palmetto State had a school choice program last year, but the state Supreme Court abruptly halted it in September, just weeks into the
UPDATE: Since this article was published April 16, the “magic amendment” passed the SC Senate and on May 1 passed the SC House. The bill as amended was signed into law by Governor McMaster in early May 2025. Today, April 16, is a momentous day for the school choice movement in South Carolina. After weeks
“Parents want and deserve the best education for their children. But too many children do not thrive in their assigned, government-run K-12 school… It is the policy of my Administration to support parents in choosing and directing the upbringing and education of their children.” – President Donald Trump, January 29, 2025 The Educational Choice for
To justify its decision striking down Education Scholarship Trust Fund (ESTF) grants for low- and moderate-income K-12 students in September of last year (2024), the South Carolina Supreme Court presented a Palmetto State history lesson, but it was a perverse one. In the majority’s peculiar characterizations of South Carolina’s past, the words of arch-racist Ben
