Common Questions About Education Scholarship Accounts (ESAs)

Education
Blog · November 16, 2023

What is an ESA?ESAs allow parents to apply for eligible students to receive the state portion of education funds (or in the South Carolina case, a portion of state general funds) into a personal, parent-controlled account. Parents are then empowered to customize an education experience that meets the individual needs of their child, using their

The Gaslighting of South Carolina Parents

Education
Blog · November 14, 2023

Do you know the origin of the term “gaslighting”? The act of “gaslighting” was made famous by the MGM film of that title starring Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer (1944). Bergman won an Oscar for her role.* The husband-villain in the film (Gregory Anton portrayed by Boyer) plots to steal the estate of his loving

BREAKING: Proposed Library Regulation Passes

Education
Blog · November 14, 2023

On September 28, the State Department of Education (SCDE) published a draft of a “new regulation that addresses school and classroom library materials.” Because it is a state regulation, it is lengthy, but here’s the bottom line. The regulation proposed by the State Department of Education establishes a complaint process and an orderly system for

General Election Results 2023 (Local)

Blog · November 8, 2023

This was an off-cycle election, so there were no Presidents, Governors, or US Senators on the ballot in South Carolina, but there were a number of interesting local questions decided. SCHOOL BOARDS School boards across the state have seen turnover in recent election cycles. This was most pronounced in Charleston County, where due to a

The NEA Sues South Carolina: Does Their Tillman Constitution Claim Have Merit?

Education
Blog · November 1, 2023

Last week, the National Education Association (The NEA/The SCEA) and others announced that they had filed suit against the State Department of Education, State Education Superintendent Ellen Weaver, State Treasurer Curtis Loftis, and the State Treasurer’s Office. Their target? The fledging Education Scholarship Account (ESA) program passed by the legislature in 2023 that would allow

Anti-ESA Lawsuit Filed

Education
Blog · October 27, 2023

Statement of Palmetto Promise Institute Eidson v. South Carolina Department of Education October 26, 2023 “The Education Scholarship Trust Fund Act (Act 8), passed by a bipartisan majority of the General Assembly and signed by the Governor, is clearly constitutional. State aid in the ESTF is directed to students, not schools (or to the wide

Tarheel Shocker: North Carolina Reshuffles the School Choice Deck in the Southeast

Education
Blog · October 23, 2023

North Carolina has been moving the goalposts on tax reform for nearly a decade. Now, in an unexpected turn of events, the Tarheel State (with a Democrat Governor no less) has tossed down the gauntlet on school choice. On September 22, North Carolina became the tenth state in America to pass universal school choice. Universal

Introducing Carolina Academic Leadership!

Education
Blog · October 19, 2023

Members of district school boards, also known as school trustees, are under pressure like never before. That’s because in the wake of COVID-19, parents and other taxpayers are finally paying attention to their work. To bear the burden of educational leadership in the higher education space, members of college and university boards of trustees enjoy

Governor McMaster Ceremonial CON Repeal Signing

Healthcare
Blog · October 11, 2023

Last week in the Statehouse, Governor Henry McMaster held a ceremonial bill signing for the legislation repealing South Carolina’s Certificate of Need (CON) statute. Palmetto Promise Institute President Wendy Damron and PPI Senior Fellow Dr. Oran Smith (far left of the photo above) were on hand for the occasion. In his remarks, Governor McMaster was