Education Scholarship Accounts being heard in committee on Wednesday
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 to receive the state-only portion of their child’s education funds in a personal, parent-controlled account. (Local and federal funds remain behind with the local school district.)
Parents are then empowered to fully customize their child’s education to meet their unique needs, purchasing approved services like tuition, therapy, tutoring, textbooks, transportation…and even save unused funds for college.
If traditional education is like a one-size-fits-all rotary phone, ESA’s are the iPhone of 21st century education!
Led by Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, South Carolina’s ESA bill draws the best ideas from states like Arizona, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee and North Carolina, where ESA’s are already in place and delivering great results for students and tremendous parent satisfaction.
And the best news: in states that are giving more education options to parents—especially those who couldn’t otherwise afford it—students success in traditional public schools is increasing too.
In fact, just last week, we reported how Mississippi students have passed up their South Carolina counterparts—check out the shocking chart here. And Florida—which has some of the oldest and largest education choice programs in the country—led the country this year on the recently-released “Nation’s Report Card” on public education.
South Carolina students need more education opportunities. Which means we need you to make your voice heard. Please take a minute to let YOUR Senator know that you support bringing the power of ESA’s to students in the Palmetto State:
CLICK HERE TO MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD TODAY!
Here at Palmetto Promise, we are clear-eyed about our state’s education challenges. But “while we breathe, we hope.” We won’t rest until every child in our state has the opportunity of an education that allows them to reach their full potential.
