SOUTH CAROLINA

Allison Padavan

Legislative History
        In 1995 Bill 3388, "South Carolina Charter Schools Act 
of 1995," was brought before the General Assembly of the 
State of South Carolina.  The bill "allows for the formation 
of charter schools. A charter school is defined as a public, 
nonsectarian, non-religious, nonhome-based, nonprofit school 
which operates within a public school district, but is 
accountable to either the South Carolina Board of Education 
or the local board of trustees.  The proposed legislation 
does not address the number of charter schools allowed in the 
state or a school district (Summary, p1)."  As of April 1995, 
the Bill had just begun to be studied by a subcommittee of 
the Education and Public Works panel (Island Packet, 
4/19/95).  
The impetus of the movement is in Hilton Head, where 
proponents had hopes of opening a school by September '95, 
but may have to wait considering the law is not passed yet.  
Rep. Scott Richardson, R-Hilton Head Island,  was the leader 
of the legislation's formation.  He points out that the bill 
doesn't guarantee that people will be able to  open a charter 
school, "It will be up to them and their superintendents to 
decide if this is the best  thing for their community.  The 
bill will set the game field for them to play on (Island 
Packet, 1/5/95)."
Proponents of the legislation, aside from the politicians 
involved, include community members, both students and 
parents.  One member of the movement was quoted as saying, 
"We want to increase the quality of education through 
competition .  We want to give everyone a choice- across 
racial spectrum, across intellectual spectrum, and across 
economic spectrum (Island Packet, 11/18/94)."
Concerns over the ramifications of charter schools have been 
voiced by a number of organizations.  Some parents expressed 
concern over who would go to the charter schools and who 
would get 'left behind.'  Several members of the Hilton Head 
chapter of the League of Women Voters "raised concerns about 
such issues as financial accountability, whether charter 
schools fit the definition of public schools and what impact 
charter school would have on other public schools in the 
school district  (Island Packet 4/19/95)."      Resegregation 
is another shared concern. Superintendent Barbara Nielsen, 
who has similar concerns, was quoted as saying, "It is very 
important for everyone to understand that they cannot be used 
as a way to resegregate, not by any category.  They must be 
fair, and all children must have equal access to them (Island 
Packet 11/23/94)."
        Denis Doyle, a consultant for the Beaufort County School 
Board expressed a concern, shared by the county's 
superintendent Richard Flynn, over the appropriateness of 
charter school for small communities, "in great big 
cities...charter schools make a lot of sense because it cuts 
through a lot of bureaucracy and red tape...In small 
communities, like Beaufort, you will have to think about it 
for different reasons. Beaufort is not bureaucratic.  
Beaufort is straightforward (Island Packet 11/18/94)." 

Salient points of bill  
APPLICATION
 The charter school application shall be a proposed agreement 
and include:
        a) a mission statement
        b) goals, objectives, and pupil achievement standards
        c) evidence that an adequate number of parents, teachers, 
                pupils, or combination support the formation
        d) description of the educational program, pupil         
                achievement standards, and curriculum
        e) description of the plan for evaluating pupil  
                achievement, types of assessments,time lines for 
                achievement and procedures for taking corrective 
                actions 
APPROVAL
  The approving body:
        a) may establish a schedule for receiving applications
        b) hold community meetings to obtain information to 
                assist in their decision to grant an application
        c) deny an application if it does not meet requirements 
                and provide written explanation within five days of 
                reasons for denial.  Applicant may appeal to State 
                Board of Education or amend application to conform.  
                Approving body has 30 days to approve or deny.
        d) becomes school's sponsor upon approval of application.
APPEALS
        a) Second opportunity for appeals exists should State 
Board of Education remand the   decision to the local board of 
trustees for reconsideration and the local board still  denies.  
A final decision will be made within 30 days.  
This is not subject to appeal   or review by the courts.

Conclusions
        Among the SC School Boards Association, the SC 
Association of School Administrators, and the Palmetto State 
Teachers Association there is reserved support for charter 
schools.  All these groups will endorse the legislation, 
however, only if local school boards maintain authority and 
responsibility for the establishment of charter schools.  It 
is likely that the charter school bill will be passed in the 
next legislative session.  However, there does not seem to be 
a great number of groups waiting to open such schools.