Public education in South Carolina

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K-12 education in South Carolina
Flag of South Carolina.png
Education facts
State superintendent:
Molly Mitchell Spearman
Number of students:
735,998
Number of teachers:
48,072
Teacher/pupil ratio:
1:15
Number of school districts:
85
Number of schools:
1,239
Graduation rate:
77.6%
Per-pupil spending:
$9,514
See also
South Carolina Department of EducationList of school districts in South CarolinaSouth CarolinaSchool boards portal

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Public education in the United States
Public education in South Carolina
Glossary of education terms
Note: The statistics on this page are mainly from government sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. Figures given are the most recent as of June 2015, with school years noted in the text or footnotes.


The South Carolina public school system (prekindergarten through grade 12) operates within districts governed by locally elected school boards and superintendents. In 2013 South Carolina had 735,998 students enrolled in a total of 1,239 schools in 103 school districts. There were 48,072 teachers in the public schools, or roughly one teacher for every 15 students, compared to the national average of 1:16. There was roughly one administrator for every 274 students, compared to the national average of one administrator for every 295 students. On average South Carolina spent $9,514 per pupil in 2013, which ranked it 33rd highest in the nation. The state's graduation rate was 77.6 percent in 2013.[1][2][3]

HIGHLIGHTS
  • Compared to its neighboring states, in the 2012-2013 school year, South Carolina had the lowest overall education expenditures but the highest spending per pupil. The state had graduation rates, ACT and SAT scores that were slightly below the national average during that year.
  • Common Core[edit]

    Common Core, or the Common Core State Standards Initiative, is an American education initiative that outlines quantifiable benchmarks in English and mathematics at each grade level from kindergarten through high school. The South Carolina Department of Education initially adopted the standards on July 14, 2010. Full implementation took place during the 2013-2014 academic year.[4][5]

    On May 30, 2014, Governor Nikki Haley (R) signed legislation that removed South Carolina from Common Core. Common Core standards for mathematics and English remained in place for the 2014-2015 academic year, but new standards were to be written and implemented for the 2015-2016 academic year. Some argued, however, that the substance of the new state-drafted standards would differ little from the Common Core standards. State Senator Brad Hutto (D) said, "The spin is that we did away with, abolished, Common Core. We didn't do anything this year other than move up in time the cyclical review, probably to the detriment of the review."[6][7]

    The South Carolina State Board of Education approved new state standards in March 2015. This action officially repealed the Common Core standards in the state.[8]

    General information[edit]

    See also: General comparison table for education statistics in the 50 states and Education spending per pupil in all 50 states

    The following chart shows how South Carolina compared to three neighboring states with respect to the number of students, schools, teachers per pupil and administrators per pupil for the 2012-2013 school year. The chart also displays that information at the national level. Compared to its neighboring states, South Carolina had the most administrators relative to students, with a ratio of 1:274.

    Further comparisons between these states with respect to performance and financial information are given in other sections of this page.

    Regional comparison, 2012-2013
    State Schools Districts Students Teachers Teacher to pupil ratio Admin. to pupil ratio Per pupil spending*
    South Carolina 1,239 103 735,998 48,072 1:15.3 1:273.8 $9,514
    Georgia 2,387 218 1,703,332 109,365 1:15.6 1:280 $9,099
    North Carolina 2,557 244 1,518,465 98,590 1:15.4 1:282.8 $8,390
    Tennessee 1,817 141 993,496 66,406 1:15 1:284.3 $8,208
    United States 98,454 18,093 49,771,118 3,109,101 1:16 1:294.1 $10,700
    *Per pupil spending data reflects information reported for fiscal year 2013.
    Sources: National Center for Education Statistics, "Table 2 - Number of operating public schools and districts, state enrollment, teacher, and pupil teacher ratio, by state: School year 2012–13"
    United States Census Bureau, "Public Education Finances: 2013 (Table 20)"

    Note: In comparing dollar amounts across the states, it is important to note that the cost of living can from state to state and within a state. The amounts given on this page have not been adjusted to reflect these differences. For more information on "regional price disparities" and the Consumer Price Index, see the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis.

    Schools by type[edit]

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    See also: Number of schools by school type in the United States

    Of the 98,454 schools in the United States, 89,031 were classified as regular schools. After regular schools, magnet schools and charter schools were the most prevalent non-traditional schools in the country, at 6,079 and 5,986, respectively.

    The table below breaks down each of the different types of schools in South Carolina and nearby states. Also listed are the numbers of schools in each state that are classified as "Title I" schools. These are public schools that have been specially targeted to correct achievement gaps in public schools.[9]

    In South Carolina, there were 1,166 regular schools as of 2013. Magnet schools were the second most prevalent type of school in the state, with 100 schools classified as such.

    Number of schools by type, 2012-2013
    State Total schools Regular Special education Vocational Alternative Charter Magnet Title I
    South Carolina 1,239 1,166 10 42 21 55 100 1,054
    Georgia 2,387 2,253 59 1 74 93 86 1,575
    North Carolina 2,557 2,444 25 7 81 108 106 2,120
    Tennessee 1,817 1,764 16 16 21 51 132 1,504
    United States 98,454 89,031 2,034 1,403 5,986 6,079 3,151 68,140
    † Not applicable. Some states/jurisdictions do not have charter school authorization and some states/jurisdictions do not designate magnet schools.
    ‡ Reporting standards were not met due to data that were missing for more than 20 percent of schools in the state or jurisdiction.
    Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data (CCD), "Public Elementary/Secondary School Universe Survey," SY 2012–13 Provisional Version 1a

    Demographics[edit]

    See also: Demographic information for all students in all 50 states

    The following table displays the ethnic distribution of students in South Carolina as reported in the National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data for 2012-2013.[10]

    During the 2012-2013 school year, just over half of all students in K-12 public schools nationwide were white. About a quarter of the students in the country were Hispanic, with black students making up about 16 percent of the student population.

    In South Carolina, the majority of students were white. White students totaled 389,179, which was about 52.9 percent of the student population in the state. There were 260,336 black students in the state, accounting for about 35.4 percent of the population.

    Public education enrollment by race/ethnicity, 2012-2013
    State Pop. category Am. Indian
    /Alaska Nat.
    Asian Black Hawaiian
    /Pac. Islander
    Hispanic White Two or more races
    South Carolina Number 2,268 10,170 260,336 864 51,859 389,179 21,322
    Percentage 0.31% 1.38% 35.37% 0.12% 7.05% 52.88% 2.9%
    Georgia Number 3,576 59,067 628,849 1,869 217,122 740,789 52,060
    Percentage 0.21% 3.47% 36.92% 0.11% 12.75% 43.49% 3.06%
    North Carolina Number 21,219 39,929 397,779 1,382 215,472 787,559 55,125
    Percentage 1.4% 2.63% 26.2% 0.09% 14.19% 51.87% 3.63%
    Tennessee Number 1,890 17,024 228,812 992 72,204 658,568 14,006
    Percentage 0.19% 1.71% 23.03% 0.1% 7.27% 66.29% 1.41%
    United States Number 533,098 2,363,484 7,798,560 179,935 12,064,310 25,366,857 1,390,514
    Percentage** 1.07% 4.76% 15.69% 0.36% 24.28% 51.04% 2.80%
    **Note: This is the percentage of all students in the United States that are reported to be of this ethnicity.
    Source: United States Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, "Common Core of Data (CCD), State Nonfiscal Public Elementary/Secondary Education Survey, 2012-2013"

    Enrollments by region type[edit]

    See also: Student distribution by region type in the United States

    According to the National Center for Education Statistics, about 30 percent of all public school students in the country attended city schools during the 2012-2013 school year. About 40 percent attended suburban schools. Approximately 11.5 percent of all students attended schools in towns while about 18.7 percent attended rural schools.[11]

    A plurality of students in South Carolina attended suburban schools during the 2012-2013 school year. Approximately 54.5 percent of the state's students attended city or suburban schools, compared to the approximately 45.5 percent who attended rural or town schools.

    Student distribution by region type, 2012-2013 (as percents)
    State City schools Suburban schools Town schools Rural schools
    South Carolina 19.2% 35.3% 12.4% 33.1%
    Georgia 15.7% 45.9% 11.5% 26.9%
    North Carolina 27.9% 23.9% 10.8% 37.4%
    Tennessee 31.7% 20.9% 17.1% 30.3%
    U.S. averages 30% 39.8% 11.5% 18.7%
    Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data (CCD), "Public Elementary/Secondary School Universe Survey, SY 2012–13 Provisional Version 1a"

    Academic performance[edit]

    Education terms
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    For more information on education policy terms, see this article.

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    NAEP scores[edit]

    See also: NAEP scores by state

    The National Center for Education Statistics provides state-by-state data on student achievement levels in mathematics and reading in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The table below presents the percentage of fourth and eighth grade students that scored at or above proficient in reading and math during school year 2012-2013. Compared to three neighboring states (Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee), South Carolina had the smallest share of fourth grade students who scored at or above proficient in both math and reading.[12]

    Percent of students scoring at or above proficient, 2012-2013
    Math - Grade 4 Math - Grade 8 Reading - Grade 4 Reading - Grade 8
    South Carolina 35% 31% 28% 29%
    Georgia 39% 29% 34% 32%
    North Carolina 45% 36% 35% 33%
    Tennessee 40% 28% 34% 33%
    United States 41% 34% 34% 34%
    Source: United States Department of Education, ED Data Express, "State Tables"

    Graduation, ACT and SAT scores[edit]

    See also: Graduation rates by groups in state and ACT and SAT scores in the United States

    The following table shows the graduation rates and average composite ACT and SAT scores for South Carolina and surrounding states during the 2012-2013 school year. All statements made in this section refer to that school year.[12][13][14]

    In the United States, public schools reported graduation rates that averaged to about 81.4 percent. About 54 percent of all students in the country took the ACT while 50 percent reported taking the SAT. The average national composite scores for those tests were 20.9 out of a possible 36 for the ACT, and 1498 out of a possible 2400 for the SAT.[15]

    South Carolina schools reported a graduation rate of 77.6 percent, second lowest among its neighboring states.

    In South Carolina, more students took the SAT than the ACT, earning an average SAT score of 1436.

    Comparison table for graduation rates and test scores, 2012-2013
    State Graduation rate, 2013 Average ACT composite, 2013 Average SAT composite, 2013
    Percent Quintile ranking** Score Participation rate Score Participation rate
    South Carolina 77.6% Fourth 20.4 51% 1436 64%
    Georgia 71.7% Fifth 20.7 51% 1452 75%
    North Carolina 82.5% Third 18.7 100% 1479 62%
    Tennessee 86.3% Second 19.5 100% 1709 8%
    United States 81.4% 20.9 54% 1498 50%
    **Graduation rates for states in the first quintile ranked in the top 20 percent nationally. Similarly, graduation rates for states in the fifth quintile ranked in the bottom 20 percent nationally.
    Sources: United States Department of Education, "ED Data Express"
    ACT.org, "2013 ACT National and State Scores"
    The Commonwealth Foundation, "SAT scores by state, 2013"

    Dropout rate[edit]

    See also: Public high school dropout rates by state for a full comparison of dropout rates by group in all states

    The high school event dropout rate indicates the proportion of students who were enrolled at some time during the school year and were expected to be enrolled in grades nine through 12 in the following school year but were not enrolled by October 1 of the following school year. Students who have graduated, transferred to another school, died, moved to another country, or who are out of school due to illness are not considered dropouts. The average public high school event dropout rate for the United States remained constant at 3.3 percent for both school year 2010–2011 and school year 2011–2012. The event dropout rate for South Carolina was lower than the national average at 2.8 percent in the 2010-2011 school year, and 2.5 percent in the 2011-2012 school year.[16]

    Educational choice options[edit]

    See also: School choice in South Carolina

    As of June 2015, school choice options in South Carolina included charter schools, a tax incentive program, inter-district open enrollment policies and online learning programs. In addition, about 7.46 percent of school-age children in the state attended private schools in the 2011-2012 academic year, and an estimated 2.67 percent were homeschooled in 2012-2013.

    Developments[edit]

    Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue (2020)[edit]

    Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue
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    Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue
    Media coverage and commentary
    U.S. Supreme Court 2019-2020 term
    Blaine Amendment (U.S. Constitution)
    Blaine amendments in state constitutions
    School choice on the ballot
    Education on the ballot
    See also: Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue

    On June 30, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, which concerned whether the government can exclude religious institutions from student-aid programs. The case related to Article X, Section 6 of the Montana Constitution, also known as Montana’s Blaine Amendment.[17]

    In its 5-4 opinion, the court held that the application of Article X, Section 6 violated the free exercise clause of the U.S. Constitution. The majority held Article X, Section 6 barred religious schools and parents who wished to send their children to those schools from receiving public benefits because of the religious character of the school.[18]

    The case addressed the tension between the free exercise and Establishment clauses of the U.S. Constitution—where one guarantees the right of individuals' free exercise of religion and the other guarantees that the state won't establish a religion—and the intersections of state constitutions with state law and with the U.S. Constitution.

    South Carolina is one of the states with a Blaine Amendment.


    Education funding and expenditures[edit]

    See also: South Carolina state budget and finances
    Breakdown of expenditures by function in fiscal year 2013
    Source: National Association of State Budget Officers

    According to the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO), states spent an average of 19.8 percent of their total budgets on elementary and secondary education during fiscal year 2013. In addition, the United States Census Bureau found that approximately 45.6 percent of the country's school system revenue came from state sources while about 45.3 percent came from local sources. The remaining portion of school system revenue came from federal sources.[19][20]

    South Carolina spent approximately 17.6 percent of its budget on elementary and secondary education during fiscal year 2013. School system revenue came primarily from state funds. South Carolina spent a smaller percentage of its total budget on public education than any of its neighboring states.

    Comparison of financial figures for school systems, fiscal year 2013
    State Percentage of budget Per pupil spending Revenue sources
    Percent federal funds Percent state funds Percent local funds
    South Carolina 17.6% $9,514 9.9% 46.3% 43.8%
    Georgia 24.1% $9,099 10.3% 43.4% 46.2%
    North Carolina 24.8% $8,390 12.4% 62% 25.6%
    Tennessee 17.8% $8,208 13.1% 46.1% 40.8%
    United States 19.8% $10,700 9.1% 45.6% 45.3%
    Sources: NASBO, "State Expenditure Report" (Table 8).
    U.S. Census Bureau, "Public Education Finances: 2013, Economic Reimbursable Surveys Division Reports" (Table 5 and Table 8).

    Revenue breakdowns[edit]

    See also: Public school system revenues in the United States

    According to the United States Census Bureau, public school system revenues totaled approximately $598 billion in fiscal year 2013.[20]

    In South Carolina, the primary source of school system revenue was state funding during fiscal year 2013, at $3.8 billion. South Carolina reported the lowest total public education revenue when compared to its neighboring states.

    Revenues by source, fiscal year 2013 (amounts in thousands)
    State Federal revenue State revenue Local revenue Total revenue
    South Carolina $814,137 $3,819,285 $3,608,526 $8,241,948
    Georgia $1,805,878 $7,577,585 $8,065,837 $17,449,300
    North Carolina $1,579,889 $7,891,977 $3,257,536 $12,729,402
    Tennessee $1,165,801 $4,097,627 $3,622,027 $8,885,455
    United States $54,367,305 $272,916,892 $270,645,402 $597,929,599
    Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "Public Education Finances: 2013, Economic Reimbursable Surveys Division Reports" (Table 1)

    Expenditure breakdowns[edit]

    See also: Public school system expenditures in the United States

    According to the National Center for Education Statistics, public school system expenditures totaled approximately $602 billion in fiscal year 2012.[21]

    Public education expenditures in South Carolina totaled approximately $8 billion in fiscal year 2012. South Carolina reported the lowest total public education expenditures when compared to its neighboring states.

    Expenditures by type, fiscal year 2012 (amounts in thousands)
    State General expenditures Capital outlay Other Total expenditures
    South Carolina $6,600,733 $889,985 $465,351 $7,956,070
    Georgia $15,623,633 $1,566,186 $275,277 $17,465,095
    North Carolina $12,303,426 $683,545 $73,186 $13,060,157
    Tennessee $8,351,056 $664,129 $280,056 $9,295,241
    United States $527,096,473 $48,773,386 $25,897,123 $601,766,981
    Source: National Center for Education Statistics, "Revenues and Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Education: School Year 2011–12 (Fiscal Year 2012)" (Table 5)

    Personnel salaries[edit]

    See also: Public school teacher salaries in the United States
    Note: Salaries given are averages for the state. Salaries may vary between a state's urban, suburban, and rural districts and should be adjusted for cost of living. For example, a MacIver Institute study of average teacher salaries in 60 metropolitan areas found that salaries in New York City were the third-highest in absolute figures but 59th-highest when adjusted for the cost of living.[22]

    According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average national salary for classroom teachers in public elementary and secondary schools declined by 1.3 percent from the 1999-2000 school year to the 2012-2013 school year. During the same period in South Carolina, the average salary decreased by 2.8 percent.[23]

    Estimated average salaries for teachers (in constant dollars**)
    1999-2000 2009-2010 2011-2012 2012-2013 Percent difference
    South Carolina $49,308 $50,712 $48,217 $47,924 -2.8%
    Georgia $56,062 $56,694 $53,819 $52,880 -5.7%
    North Carolina $53,849 $50,010 $46,712 $45,947 -14.7%
    Tennessee $49,645 $49,412 $47,866 $48,289 -2.7%
    United States $57,133 $58,925 $56,340 $56,383 -1.3%
    **"Constant dollars based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), prepared by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, adjusted to a school-year basis. The CPI does not account for differences in inflation rates from state to state."

    Organizations[edit]

    State agencies[edit]

    See also: South Carolina Department of Education

    The mission statement of the South Carolina Department of Education reads:[24]

    Our mission is to ensure that every student in South Carolina receives an education that meets their individual needs while also preparing them to be contributing members of society. We work closely with students, parents, teachers, staff, school districts, government officials, and the media to facilitate the best possible education for South Carolina's students.[25]

    The Superintendent of Education is responsible generally for the administration of the Department of Education.[26] The Superintendent of Education is elected to a four-year term. Molly Mitchell Spearman was first elected to the office in 2014.[27]

    The South Carolina State Board of Education is the governing body for public elementary and secondary education in the state. The board is composed of 17 members: 16 are appointed from each of the state's judicial circuits by their respective legislative delegations and one is appointed directly by the governor. Members serve four-year terms.[28]

    Unions[edit]

    In 2012 the Fordham Institute and Education Reform Now assessed the power and influence of state teacher unions in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Their rankings were based on 37 different variables in five broad areas, including resources and membership, involvement in politics, scope of bargaining, state policies and perceived influence. South Carolina ranked 49th overall for union power and influence, or "weakest," which was in the fifth of five tiers.[29]

    The main union related to the South Carolina school system is the South Carolina Education Association (SCEA), an affiliate of the National Education Association (NEA).[30]

    List of local South Carolina school unions:[31]

    Taxpayer-funded lobbying[edit]

    See also: South Carolina government sector lobbying

    The main education government sector lobbying organization is the South Carolina School Boards Association.

    The South Carolina House of Representatives rejected a proposal in March 2010 that would have prohibited school districts from using taxpayer money to fund government sector lobbying associations. Representative Boyd Brown introduced the budget amendment, which would have eliminated government sector lobbying and prohibited the use of tax dollars for dues at any "organization which employs a lobbyist." The bill failed on March 18, 2010, by one vote.[32]

    According to reports, public universities in the state had spent more than $1.5 million on lobbying as of September 2010.[33][34]

    Transparency[edit]

    "South Carolina Spending Transparency" is the transparency website sponsored by the state. It discloses information about South Carolina's spending and is managed by the Comptroller General. On August 30, 2007, then-Governor Mark Sanford signed South Carolina Executive Order 2007-14, which mandated the creation of the website.

    Studies and reports[edit]

    Quality Counts 2014[edit]

    See also: Education Week survey

    Education Week, a publication that reports on many education issues throughout the country, began using an evaluation system in 1997 to grade each state on various elements of education performance. This system, called Quality Counts, uses official data on performance from each state to generate report cards for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The report card in 2014 uses six different categories:

    1. Chance for success
    2. K-12 achievement
    3. Standards, assessments and accountability
    4. The teaching profession
    5. School finance
    6. Transitions and alignment

    Each of these six categories had a number of other elements that received individual scores. Those scores were then averaged and used to determine the final score in each category. Every state received two types of scores for each of the six major categories: A numerical score out of 100 and a letter grade based on that score. Education Week used the score for the first category, "chance for success," as the value for ranking each state and the District of Columbia. The average grade received in the entire country was 77.3, or a C+ average. The country's highest average score was in the category of "standards, assessments and accountability" at 85.3, or a B average, The lowest average score was in "K-12 achievement", at 70.2, or a C- average.

    South Carolina received a score of 72.6, or a C average in the "chance for success" category. This was below the national average. The state's highest score was in "standards, assessments and accountability" at 94.4, or an A average. The lowest score was in "K-12 achievement" at 62.6, or a D average. South Carolina had the highest score in the "standards, assessments and accountability" category when compared to neighboring states. The chart below displays the scores of South Carolina and its surrounding states.[35]

    Note: Click on a column heading to sort the data.

    Public education report cards, 2014
    State Chance for success K-12 achievement Standards, assessments and accountability The teaching profession School finance Transitions and alignment
    South Carolina 72.6 (C) 62.6 (D) 94.4 (A) 89.0 (B+) 68.7 (D+) 71.4 (C-)
    Georgia 73.9 (C) 70.7 (C-) 91.1 (A-) 79.8 (B-) 71.6 (C-) 100.0 (A)
    North Carolina 75.7 (C) 69.8 (C-) 92.8 (A) 77.8 (C+) 67.0 (D+) 85.7 (B)
    Tennessee 73.9 (C) 68.8 (D+) 90.0 (A-) 80.3 (B-) 64.5 (D) 92.9 (A)
    United States 77.3 (C+) 70.2 (C-) 85.3 (B) 72.5 (C) 75.5 (C) 81.1 (B-)
    Source: Education Week, "Quality Counts 2014"

    A full discussion of how these numbers were generated can be found here.

    State Budget Solutions education study[edit]

    See also: State spending on education v. academic performance (2012)

    State Budget Solutions examined national trends in education from 2009 to 2011, including state-by-state analysis of education spending, graduation rates and average ACT scores. The study showed that the states that spent the most did not have the highest average ACT test scores, nor did they have the highest average graduation rates. A summary of the study is available here. The full report can be accessed here.

    School districts[edit]

    See also: School board elections portal

    District types[edit]

    School districts in South Carolina are organized by county. Each county has at least one public school district offering K-12 courses.[36]

    School board composition[edit]

    South Carolina school board members are generally elected by residents of the school district, although some school board members are appointed to fill vacancies until the next election for the seat is held. South Carolina school board elections typically follow one of these two methods:[37]

    • At-large: All voters residing in the school district may vote for any candidates running, regardless of geographic location.
    • Trustee area at-large: All voters residing in the school district may vote for any candidates running, but candidates must reside in specific geographic areas within the school district.

    School boards can consists of five, seven or nine members. Board members serve terms of two, three or four years.[37]

    Term limits[edit]

    South Carolina does not impose statewide term limits on school board members. However, terms limits on school board members can still be imposed on the local level.[37]

    Elections[edit]

    See also: South Carolina school board elections, 2021

    No South Carolina school districts within Ballotpedia's coverage scope are holding school board elections in 2021.


    Path to the ballot[edit]

    To qualify for the ballot as a school board candidate in South Carolina, a person must be:[37]

    • 18 years of age or older
    • A resident of the school district at the time of the election

    Candidates file nominating petitions with county elections officials at least 75 days prior to the election. A valid petition features signatures from district residents totaling at least 5 percent of registered voters in the school district.[37]

    Campaign finance[edit]

    State law requires local candidates to file campaign finance reports with the South Carolina State Ethics Commission. The first report for a school board candidate is due within 10 days of receiving or spending $500 in campaign funds. Candidates who do not receive or spend $500 are required to file pre-election reports within 15 days of the election. The maximum contribution amount in an election cycle for local candidates is $1,000 per person.[38]

    Recent legislation[edit]

    The following is a list of recent education bills that have been introduced in or passed by the South Carolina state legislature. To learn more about each of these bills, click the bill title. This information is provided by BillTrack50 and LegiScan.

    Note: Due to the nature of the sorting process used to generate this list, some results may not be relevant to the topic. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation pertaining to this topic has been introduced in the legislature recently.


    Education ballot measures[edit]

    See also: Education on the ballot and List of South Carolina ballot measures

    Ballotpedia has tracked the following statewide ballot measures relating to education.

    1. South Carolina Amendment 1, Appointed Superintendent of Education Measure (2018)
    2. South Carolina Establishment of a State Board of Education, Amendment 6 (1972)

    In the news[edit]

    The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms South Carolina education policy. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

    See also[edit]

    External links[edit]

    Footnotes[edit]

    1. United States Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, "Common Core of Data (CCD); Table 2.—Number of operating public schools and districts, state enrollment, teacher and pupil/teacher ratio by state: School year 2012-13," accessed May 29, 2015
    2. National Association of State Budget Officers, "State expenditure report, Fiscal years 2012-2014," accessed July 14, 2015
    3. United States Department of Education, "ED Data Express," accessed May 29, 2015
    4. Common Core State Standards Initiative, "Core Standards in your State," accessed June 12, 2014
    5. South Carolina State Department of Education, "Common Core State Standards," accessed June 17, 2014
    6. Education Week, "Common Core standards could change little," June 16, 2014
    7. The Washington Post, "Two more states pull out of Common Core," June 5, 2014
    8. WLTX 19, "Common Core Standards Dead in South Carolina," March 11, 2015
    9. U.S. Department of Education, "Title I - Improving the academic achievement of the disadvantaged," accessed May 29, 2015
    10. United States Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, "Common Core of Data (CCD), State Nonfiscal Public Elementary/Secondary Education Survey, 2011-2012," accessed May 7, 2014
    11. U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data (CCD), "Public Elementary/Secondary School Universe Survey, SY 2012–13 Provisional Version 1a," accessed March 2, 2016
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    25. Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
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