COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - Gov. Mark Sanford's cap on school enrollment will have to wait until next year for consideration now that a House committee has halted debate on the bill.

The bill was not far enough along in the evaluation process to make it eligible to become law this session, and the 3-to-1 vote Tuesday ended debate for this year.

Sanford outlined the idea in his State of the State address in January. He proposed to cap enrollment at all public schools: no more than 500 children in elementary schools, 700 in middle schools and 900 in high schools. School systems could be exempt by creating "schools within schools," the governor said.

Sanford lined up sponsors to introduce his enrollment cap bill on March 26.

The House K-12 subcommittee heard from educators and their supporters, who questioned the economic impact the community schools bill would have by forcing districts to build more schools.

Some educators noted the Sanford proposal eroded a long-standing policy of allowing communities to decide what's best for their local schools.

A Sanford education initiative to include "conduct" grades on student report cards also failed to pass this year. However, under legislative rules, both proposals can be revived when the Legislature reconvenes next year.

Information from: The State