With over 70 sources of money, South Carolina’s system for funding our public schools is one of the most complicated in the country!

The 2019 South Carolina legislative session saw a strong focus on K-12 education. New education spending topped $150 million. While many important needs were met, most notably the teacher pay increase, there is still work to be done in order to unlock South Carolina’s true potential and improve educational outcomes.

Per pupil expenditures are high while performance is poor. Teacher compensation is flat while administrative spending is high and growing.

Many of us have a story of that special teacher that went the extra mile and poured their love of learning into us.

On the school funding debate, our bottom line is this: we have enough money in the system, we just need to let state-appropriated dollars follow the child, not arrive in blocks for programs.

The state senate took step forward in the effort to reduce administrative overhead, provide the economies of scale needed for effective leadership, and get more dollars to the classroom.

South Carolina’s “Year of Education” won’t be complete without big, bold school choice.

A large body of research conducted over twenty years shows that private edu- cation choice programs have had an overwhelmingly positive impact on private program participants and public schools. According to 100 rigorous academic studies, here are the specific effects of private school choice.

South Carolina voters are pleased with direction of state but say education is on the wrong track. And they are open to innovative solutions.

When students go to school, they carry what’s necessary in their backpacks. But in South Carolina, too much of one important item doesn’t travel with students headed to a new school: education funding dollars.