The proposal, dubbed the "Put Parents in Charge Act," comes up for debate today in a Ways and Means subcommittee. It is one of several pieces of Sanford-inspired legislation that House Speaker David Wilkins, R-Greenville, is helping steer through the House.

House Minority Leader James Smith, D-Columbia, and state Reps. Joel Lourie, D-Columbia, and Walton McLeod, D-Little Mountain, held a press conference Monday at the Statehouse to outline their problems with the legislation and to call for a public stance by the Republican leadership.

"We want to make sure we can join with the Republican majority to oppose this," Smith said. "And if they don't oppose it, we want them to say it for everyone to hear because we believe that the vast majority of South Carolinians oppose this bill."

Sanford's plan would give qualifying parents up to $4,600 a year in scholarships or tax credits to offset private school tuition, home-schooling costs or "tuition" for attending a public school in another district. Both private and public schools could receive the taxpayer dollars. Parents who qualify could apply the tax credit to their property or income taxes.

If parents didn't make enough money to qualify for the credits, private schools could receive the dollars through the formation of scholarship granting organizations, nonprofit groups that would be set up to receive tax credits in return for paying for low-income children's scholarships.

Critics charge Sanford's plan, modeled on the voucher system in Florida, will weaken public schools and ultimately leave low-income families out of the mix.

Those in favor say the education system is broken, and increasing school choice is the only way to fix it.

Contacted by phone Monday, the Republican leadership was lukewarm to the proposal. While no one opposed the measure, words of support were not overwhelming.

"I'm not a sponsor of it, but I think it has some merits," Wilkins said. "I support the concept of choice, but I think it's something the committee needs to look at."

House Ways and Means Chairman Bobby Harrell, R-Charleston, said he has some concerns about the bill as written.

"But we will have the meeting and hear what the public says about the bill and go from there," Harrell said.

House Majority Leader Rick Quinn, R-Columbia, was not immediately available for comment.

Sanford's spokesman Will Folks said the plan's critics have no examples of where school choice has hurt public schools. Sanford often uses Florida as evidence of how such a system can work.

Florida's attempt at school choice has not been a smooth transition. There have been multiple state investigations into fraud, one criminal prosecution and a proliferation of non-accredited private school startups.

A December report from the Florida Department of Financial Services concluded the program does "not have systems or processes in place to support accountability and legislative intent."

Now, four years after the first vouchers were introduced, Florida lawmakers have introduced bills this session meant to fix the system.

Click here to return to story:
http://www.charleston.net/stories/042004/sta_20parents.shtml