Palmetto Promise Senior Fellow Dr. Oran Smith is quoted in this article on Certificate of Need Reform written by Patrick Gleason and originally published in Forbes. South Carolina is a red state where Republicans have long held statewide offices and majorities in the state legislature, but the Palmetto State has not been a national leader
Palmetto Promise CEO Wendy Damron is quoted in this article by Todd DeFoe at The Center Square. (The Center Square) — The South Carolina House of Representatives signed off on a measure to expand the Education Scholarship Trust Fund. Lawmakers voted 69-32 in favor of H.5164 on its second reading. The measure would expand a
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MARCH 20, 2024 Universal ESA Bill Passes South Carolina House Income and Previous Public School Attendance Requirement Removed COLUMBIA — By a vote of 69-32, the South Carolina House of Representatives today gave second reading to H. 5164, a bill that, if signed into law, would expand the state’s new Education Scholarship
Today, March 6, 2024, the South Carolina Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the legal challenge to South Carolina’s Education Scholarship Trust Fund (ESTF) program, Eidson v. SC Department of Education. Palmetto Promise has advocated for the adoption of an ESA program in South Carolina for nearly a decade. We were involved every step of
Palmetto Promise President Wendy Damron is quoted in this article from The Center Square on South Carolina’s new ESA program. (The Center Square) — South Carolina is accepting applications for a new education scholarship that proponents say is the future of education in the state. Last year, state lawmakers passed S.39, the Educational Scholarship Trust Fund,
ABC News 4 quoted Palmetto Promise in this article by Bryce Jacquot originally published in January 2024. SOUTH CAROLINA (WCIV) — A portal created by the South Carolina Department of Education to accept applications for $6,000 scholarships to qualifying South Carolina students is now open. The Education Scholarship Trust Fund (ESTF) was created by the legislature
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
Dr. Oran Smith is quoted in this article from The Center Square by T.A. DeFeo. (The Center Square) — While about a quarter of South Carolina schools received an excellent grade in a new analysis, officials say more work is needed to ensure students are prepared for their next moves in life. Statewide, state officials
South Carolina is a state with great potential. One of the reasons for this is that in the Palmetto State, our leaders still believe in the power of free enterprise. Here, the door is wide open to innovative policy solutions that expand opportunity for all. An important source of this opportunity is found in our
Aubrey Wursten writes for the Independent Women’s Forum about South Carolina’s Certificate of Need (CON) repeal and cites Palmetto Promise Institute research on the topic. In 1987, the federal government repealed the certificate of need (CON) mandate it had enacted 13 years before. During those 13 years, any state wishing to receive subsidies, such as
