FLORENCE - Advocates of the “Put Parents in Charge Act” gathered in Florence on Monday night to garner public support for a bill they said will restore parental control of education and improve public school performance.
Sponsored by the South Carolina Policy Council, the South Carolina Center for Grassroots and Community Alternatives, and the LEAD Foundation, Monday night’s “Choose to Learn” Forum at the Florence Civic Center drew about 50 people interested in learning more about school choice and educational options.
The Put Parents in Charge Act is designed to give parents control of their children’s education by providing them with tax credits for tuition for public or independent schools or for contributions to a qualified Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO). The dollar-for-dollar credit can be applied against a person’s income tax liability.
Under the plan, individuals and businesses would be allowed tax credits on contributions to SGOs, which would be required to spend at least 95 percent of the money on scholarships for qualifying students. Any 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization would be able to create an SGO by registering with the S.C. Department of Revenue.
Those eligible for the tax credit would be children of families with less than $75,000 of South Carolina taxable income with two exemptions, with the income cap increased by $5,000 for each additional exemption. The credits or average scholarship can’t exceed the per pupil portion of state education funding tied to the number of students in the school district, which amounts to a maximum of about $4,000 per student. For special needs students, the cap would be $8,000.
Under the plan, school districts would retain a portion of state funding, even when students migrate from the district. According to proponents of the plan, per-pupil spending in public schools would climb faster with the Put Parents in Charge Act than under current law.
Terrye Seckinger, a member of the state Board of Education and a supporter of school tax credits, was among the speakers at Monday night’s forum. She said she believes that such a plan is crucial to the future of the state’s education system.
“It’s not that I’m against public schools, because there are a lot of good ones out there,” Seckinger said. “But I’m for what works, and it’s time for a change. We are not serving our children well in South Carolina.”
The keynote speaker, Washington, D.C., City Councilman and advocate for school reform Kevin P. Chavous, has led the effort for change within the District of Columbia’s public school system and helped shepherd the charter school movement in the nation’s capital.
Under Chavous’s leadership, charter schools in the District of Columbia have grown from nonexistent to nearly 40 schools and 11,000 students in five years.
“Public education in America is broken. You know why it’s broken? Because all children aren’t learning. Our system is outdated,” Chavous said.
“This is not about taking money from one box and putting it in another,” he said. “It’s about recognizing the resources we have and putting them to the best use for all children. I’m talking about pushing the system to embrace what’s best for our kids.”
Chavous said he believes in the charter school concept because it individualizes education according to a student’s abilities, strengths and interests.
“Just as you recognize there are differences in how you approach dealing with your own children, there are differences in how you should approach educating them,” he said. “You can’t use a cookie cutter approach. When you have just one way of doing anything without any other counter approaches, it doesn’t work.”
Paul V. Watson of Florence, who attended Monday night’s forum, said he supports school tax credits.
“When it comes to education, we’re failing in this state,” said Watson, who has five children, three of whom attended or presently attend private schools.
“We had the promise of lottery money, we had the promise of the last referendum that passed - all these things that were going to resurrect public education - but none of it has worked,” Watson said. “I just don’t think public schools in South Carolina are working. I don’t think an increase in funding is the answer. I think a change in the system is in order, and I’m looking at this plan as an option.”
Dajuna Hanna of Florence also attended the forum and said she believes providing choices will improve the state’s public education system.
“My son’s already in private school,” Hanna said. “But I have nephews and nieces in the public system, and I want to be more involved in what’s going on. I’ve had personal experiences with the public school system here in Florence and they haven’t been wonderful. But if I can change that and make it better for my nieces and nephews and other kids, I want to do that.”
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