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Article published Apr 21, 2004
School leaders, parents discuss school plan
ROBERT W. DALTON
Staff Writer
COLUMBIA -- Miracle
Academy Principal Teresa Middleton says it saddens her every time a parent has
to pull a child out of the small, private school in Berkeley County because they
can't afford the tuition."We have smaller class sizes and can focus on
individualized learning," Middleton said. "Our 4-year-olds can read, count
money, add, subtract and multiply," she said.Middleton was one of nearly 60
people who spoke at a public hearing Tuesday on the "Put Parents in Charge Act,"
Gov. Mark Sanford's school choice plan.The plan would provide income tax credits
for families with taxable income under $75,000 and two exemptions. The income
limit increases by $5,000 for each additional exemption.The tax credit would be
used to cover the cost of sending a child to a private school, another public
school within the same district, another public school in a different district,
or for home schooling.Individuals and businesses also would receive a tax credit
for contributing to a scholarship fund. Scholarships would cover expenses not
met by the tax credits to families.The tax credits would not exceed the lesser
of 80 percent of the tuition, or 80 percent of $3,200 for kindergarten, $4,000
for grades one through eight and $4,600 for grades nine through 12.An overflow
crowd attended Tuesday's hearing, the first on the plan.Two themes emerged from
the peoplewho addressed the House panel. Supporters clamored for parental
choice, while opponents hammered away at accountability.Molly Spearman, a deputy
superintendent with the state Department of Education, said South Carolina
loosely regulates private schools and home schooling and that they are not
subject to the same accountability standards as public schools."We support the
right of every parent to choose the type of education they want their children
to have, but we cannot support (this plan)," Spearman said.Stephen Hefner,
superintendent of Richland County School District 2, said the proposal would
have a "catastrophic" impact on his district and the state. He said the tax
credits would divert money from public education, and that public funds would be
funneled through parents with no check on where the money was going.But David
Cope, a school board member in Jasper County, said that parents wouldn't pull
their children out of schools that were performing."I'm looking for
alternatives, because what we have now isn't working," Cope said.Huey Mills, a
minister from Lancaster, said the plan would make schools accountable to every
parent."This will allow you to use your tax dollars to educate your children the
best way you see fit," he said.House Speaker Pro Tem Doug Smith, R-Spartanburg,
the bill's primary sponsor, said his intent was to make public schools better,
not to try to benefit private schools. He said a recent study shows that 80
percent of the state's parents said they wanted to be the ones to choose the
school their children attend."It's time to have the social, philosophical and
moral debate on school choice," Smith said. "How long can we keep supporting a
system that has only experienced a modicum of improvement?"Robert W. Dalton can
be reached at 562-7274 or bob.dalton@shj.com.