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

The reaction to Governor McMaster’s allocation of $32 million for SAFE Grants for low and moderate-income children to attend the private school of their choice has been met with shrieks from the public education lobby. As they tell it, the sky is falling, this is “a war on public schools,” civilization as we know it

Download this report. On July 20, 2020, Governor Henry McMaster announced SAFE Grants, a program designed to provide low- and moderate-income families who have been impacted by COVID an opportunity to remain in private school or attend a private school of their choice. According to the Governor’s Office, SAFE Grants has been awarded $32 million

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

View chart.  How does Governor McMaster’s $32 million SAFE Grants program compare to other education related COVID relief funding? Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund Total: $48.4 million From the CARES Act, flowed through the South Carolina Department of Administration SAFE Grants: $32 million  Funding to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs): $2.4 million Total

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 20, 2020 Media Contact: Lawson Mansell Policy Content Manager 843-694-1540  Palmetto Promise Institute Hails New McMaster SAFE Grants Education Program Greenville, SC – In a news conference today at Hampton Park Christian School, Governor Henry McMaster unveiled a bold new education program designed to help meet the educational needs of working

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

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) released its opinion in the matter of Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, ruling in favor of Montana parents seeking to use scholarship funds for religious private schools. You can read PPI Senior Fellow Oran Smith’s initial reaction to the decision here.  Here are some