After months of uncertainty and determined advocacy from families across the state, South Carolina’s restored and expanded ESA program, the Education Scholarship Trust Fund, is back—and rising stronger than ever for 2025–26. When parents spoke up, lawmakers listened and passed S.62, which Governor McMaster signed into law May 7, 2025. Just a week later, ESTF

This past week, I was fortunate enough to attend the National Summit on Education, hosted by the Foundation for Excellence in Education (ExcelinEd). This conference is the preeminent collection of education policy experts in the country, with nearly every state represented by some number of policymakers, advocates, and education vendors. This year, about 1,500 people

In South Carolina, where patients often drive far and wait weeks to see a doctor, the answer to faster, cheaper care may be standing behind the pharmacy counter.   The United Health Foundation found that, in 2023, 31.8% of people in South Carolina live in rural areas, which is higher than the national average of 20.4%.

Palmetto Promise’s Director of Education Policy, Ryan Dellinger, was quoted in this piece by our State Policy Network colleagues at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. South Carolina charter schools overperform A new study of state education records indicates that South Carolina charter schools are substantially outperforming traditional schools in preparing students for college and

After years of false starts, heated hearings, and last-minute negotiations, South Carolina has finally passed lawsuit reform. Governor Henry McMaster signed H.3430 into law in May 2025, calling it “landmark tort reform.”  This legislation is, indeed, a milestone. For the first time in two decades, the General Assembly has tackled not just liquor liability but

Palmetto Promise Institute recently published a blog highlighting the release of the 2025 South Carolina school report cards.  Overall, the results were promising—more schools moved up the grading scale, and academic performance across the state improved.  With this in mind, PPI would like to take a deeper dive into the data and explore specifically how

How long have you spent waiting for an appointment with a physician? Prolonged wait times have become a reality for most Americans due to a nationwide doctor shortage. On average, Americans must wait 20 days to receive an appointment with a physician, even though the estimated standard wait time is 14 days. Nationwide, this shortage

Yesterday, the South Carolina Department of Education released its 2025 school report cards—offering the latest snapshot of how our public and public charter schools are performing. These annual report cards do more than just track test scores. They reveal whether students across our state are truly gaining ground—or if persistent gaps remain. For policymakers, the

Since at least the Great Depression, the federal administrative state has expanded its reach dramatically. This is a severe challenge for democracy. But fortunately, South Carolina is holding its own…for now. In the State Policy Network’s annual Federalism Scorecard, the Palmetto State ranks 5th in the nation—that means South Carolina is the fifth least vulnerable

Civic knowledge and engagement have been in decline nationwide for decades. South Carolina is no exception.  The Palmetto Civics Project is the state’s response to this trend — asserting that South Carolina’s students should exit school not only with academic skills, but also with readiness to participate in democracy, preserve freedom, and strengthen community.   The