Private education in SC more available than you might think

Education
Blog · April 27, 2018

Private schools are a vital part of a healthy education ecosystem that provides parents with the various options they need to find the right education fit for their student. Palmetto Promise recently partnered with EdChoice to conduct a survey of South Carolina’s private school sector. With the vast majority of these schools operating independently, it’s

School Choice Week II?

Education
Blog · April 19, 2018

National School Choice Week is celebrated every January all over America. You saw the video of the amazing outpouring of support for all educational options. Charter, home, private, online, magnet and Christian school students filled the steps of our South Carolina Statehouse. But this legislative week was another type of School Choice Week…more of a policy

Education Scholarship Accounts being heard in committee on Wednesday

Education
Blog · April 17, 2018

Tomorrow (April 18) at 9:00 AM the South Carolina Senate’s K-12 Education Subcommittee will meet to discuss S.622—the South Carolina Equal Opportunity Education Scholarship Account Act (ESA’s). ESA’s are an education innovation that is sweeping the country and creating unprecedented flexibility for students and families. This idea would allow parents of eligible students to apply

Drop in South Carolina test scores among nation’s worst

Education
Blog · April 12, 2018

Southerners know the wisecrack that comes up whenever talking about some less-than-stellar state statistic: “Thank goodness for Mississippi.” Sadly, South Carolina’s education system just lost that excuse. On April 10, the National Center for Education Statistics released its 2017 results for the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP. Also known as the “Nation’s Report

Legislation moving on Santee Cooper study, tax cuts, and school choice

Blog · April 5, 2018

Even as students (and the South Carolina Senate) enjoy spring break and golf nuts get their Masters fix, policy news here in Columbia hasn’t taken the week off! This week saw noteworthy developments on a couple key issues we’re watching at the Statehouse: Real results: House votes to establish Santee Cooper study committee Fresh on

Breaking: Santee Cooper econometric analysis coming next week

Energy
Blog · March 13, 2018

On Tuesday, March 20, Palmetto Promise Institute will present its analysis of the current state and future prospects for Santee Cooper, the state-owned utility known officially as The South Carolina Public Service Authority. Palmetto Promise scholars and a specially-empaneled team of research economists will present its report “Santee Cooper’s Uncertain Future: A Historical, Policy and

The Truth about Competency-Based Education

Education
Blog · March 13, 2018

What is “competency-based education” and how would it impact South Carolina students? Issue at a Glance South Carolina lawmakers are currently considering a bill to allow schools to opt into a competency-based education model. Competency-based education – also called “personalized learning” – allows schools the option to innovate away from an old one-size-fits-all education model

The myth of low average taxes

Tax & Budget
Blog · March 9, 2018

With every new year comes a new round of rankings on every topic imaginable. Apparently tax policy is no different, and its ranking season has begun. Two new state rankings reports place South Carolina among the top finishers in states with the lowest tax rates. The first report, by 24/7 Wall Street, uses Tax Foundation

House committee receives plan to make South Carolina competitive with southeastern neighbors

Tax & Budget
Blog · February 23, 2018

Thursday, House Research staff presented a plan for statewide comprehensive income and sales tax reform to South Carolina Speaker of the House Jay Lucas and the South Carolina House Tax Policy Review Committee. The plan represents a critical step forward to create fairness for hardworking South Carolina citizens, stability to fund state promises and essential