COLUMBIA, S.C. - Its chances of making it into law books within the next year are slim, but legislation that would give tax credits to parents who transfer their children from public schools has sparked furious debate about education in South Carolina.

The bill known as "Put Parents in Charge" is one of Gov. Mark Sanford's top legislative priorities. The Republican says he wants to take politics out of the education system and replace it with the power of the market place.

State Education Superintendent Inez Tenenbaum, a Democrat, and groups representing the state's public educators say the proposal would take money away from public schools.

The legislation says parents paying for private school tuition can take a tax credit equal to 51 percent of what the state spends on a per-pupil basis. Based on the state budget bill, that would be $2,190 this fall.

A crowd, which spilled into the hallways during the first House subcommittee hearing last week, is expected to return for public comment this week. With three of the bill's sponsors on the subcommittee, the bill likely has a smooth sail to the House Ways and Means Committee.

But the road to floor after that gets more difficult, the bill's sponsor concedes.

"It's a long haul," said Rep. Doug Smith, R-Spartanburg. "One thing's for sure by 2010, when accountability measures are supposed to be completed, if we're not getting results and we're continuing get the same results we're getting right now then I don't think anybody will question the need for change."

Federal education legislation requires all students to be able to read and solve math problems proficiently by 2010. Fifty-six percent of the state's schools met federal standards last year, up significantly from less than a quarter the previous year. But Smith and other supporters say much more is needed, particularly to address South Carolina's high dropout rate.

Proponents have pushed the tax credit bill as a way to give parents more choice in educating their children. It also would help public schools by making them compete to keep their students from fleeing, they say.

In Milwaukee, where about 15,000 use vouchers to attend private schools, graduation rates improved by 25 percent after the city's school choice program was created, school choice advocate Eric O'Keefe told legislators at the hearing last week.

Opponents say that school accountability measures implemented 1998 have done much to improve the state schools.

"I believe that our energy and resources need to be focused on public education and it's not prudent for us to digress from the accountability measures that we started back in 1998," said Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, D-Orangeburg. "Any extra resources should be put into honoring the commitments we made under the Education Accountability Act."

Some legislators don't like part of the bill that lets businesses pay their income tax obligations in scholarships rather than sending the money to the state. That has created concerns that lost business tax money would blow a hole in the state's budget.

Though the bill is only beginning to be debated in the House, it has already sparked heated debate that has played out on highway billboards, in television and radio advertisements and at Statehouse rallies.

"People will use that to see - how Republican are you? Would you put your name on the parents' choice bill?" said Rep. Alex Harvin, D-Summerton. "How Democrat are you? Are you going pledge that you're going to vote against it before you can read the bill?"

Legislators are considering amendments that could give the bill more traction in the House.

Rep. James McGee, R-Florence, is considering amending the bill so that students could only transfer from failing or unsatisfactory schools.

"I think especially where we see this in rural areas where we have condemned children to a failing system," McGee said. "It's just not right. And I think the bill should be more designed to address that type of problem."

There also are plans being consider that would allow the bill to be implemented in limited areas of the state in pilot programs, House members said. It's an idea that bill sponsor Smith said he would consider.

"Obviously, I'd like to see the legislation itself considered and adopted," Smith said. "It's up to the subcommittee and committee. If they feel like it's a worthy effort to go ahead and to proceed in terms of parts of it or pilots or whatever, that's fine too."