Could museum survive cuts?

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S.C. State Museum over three

years would likely force it to close.

Gov. Mark Sanford wants to zero-out state funding for the South Carolina State Museum over the next three years, but that could force the museum to close its doors. The state currently provides more than 60 percent of the museum's $6.2 million budget. Asking the museum to replace all of that money with private funds in three years would be almost impossible.

With the governor proposing sharp cuts to almost every agency and department, the State Museum certainly cannot be shielded from some funding reductions. But eliminating all state money could mean that this repository of the state's heritage would cease operations.

Funding cuts to the museum also could be illegal: Of the state's $4.5 million annual allocation to the museum, almost $3 million goes back to the state to pay off bonds for the renovation of the museum's historical building, completed in 1994. The state is legally responsible for those bonds.

The museum is a state treasure, a tourist attraction and an important part of South Carolina's educational and cultural infrastructure. Unlike local history and art museums, the State Museum is exactly what its name implies — an institution showcasing the state's art, history, natural history, science and technology.

More than 75,000 schoolchildren visited the museum last year to learn about the history of this state — and almost 85,000 are expected to visit this year. In all, more than 200,000 people enjoy the museum every year.

It's certainly not inappropriate for Gov. Sanford to ask the museum to seek private sources of revenue, although museum officials say the facility survives on a smaller percentage of state funding than the average state museum. State funding has dropped from almost $5.8 million in 2001 to $4.5 million this year. The number of employees has fallen from 67 to 36.

The museum in recent years has done an impressive job of increasing its earned income, largely through ticket revenues. It could conceivably raise its modest ticket prices, but that might bar some families from visiting the museum. By state law, schoolchildren are not charged admission; lawmakers could give the museum permission to charge admission to schoolchildren, but that would likely deter poorer schools from journeying to the museum.

One possible option: The state could save some money by refinancing the museum's bonds.

At a time when the state has a $350 million revenue shortfall that is forcing Gov. Sanford and lawmakers to cut funding for public education, universities, prisons and law enforcement, they cannot protect the State Museum from some budget cuts. But neither should they be responsible for shutting the doors of this tremendous educational and cultural asset.