Sen. Wes Hayes, R-Rock Hill, who sits on both the Education and Finance committees, made the announcement Monday at a meeting attended by five state lawmakers and by superintendents and board chairmen from York County's four school districts.

Educators attended the more than two-hour meeting to press for assurances that the new law, which replaces homeowners' property taxes for school operations with a 1-cent increase in sales taxes, will provide enough money to pay for high-quality schools in the rapidly growing county.

"We clearly need to take on more responsibility at the state level because we've taken it away from you," Hayes told school officials. "If we can put a safeguard in there in case of an emergency situation, I would like to speed that up."

Three issues have surfaced repeatedly regarding the law:

• It does not appear to meet the needs of fast-growing districts;

• It doesn't address shortfalls, particularly in years when the economy is weak; and,

• The law is one more step toward state control of local schools.

The state will begin collecting the additional 1-cent sales tax July 1, and Hayes said it appears school districts will receive quarterly payments at first, then every six months.

School districts have begun preliminary work on budgets for the coming fiscal year. The state has promised income equal to their current budgets for the first year, with increases in future years to be based on the Consumer Price Index and state population growth.

Local school officials are worried because, while the state's student population grew 3 percent last year, Clover and Rock Hill had enrollment growth of 5 percent and Fort Mill 10 percent, Fort Mill superintendent Keith Callicutt told the group.

The York district grew the slowest -- by 1.5 percent -- but growth is expected to accelerate there, too.

"York has the largest square miles," Callicutt said of the four districts, "but our property is rapidly disappearing. It's going to happen more so in York in the future."

Lower property taxes will draw increasing numbers of people from Charlotte, school officials say.

"We know Fort Mill is getting filled up," said Clover school board Chairman Steve Brown. "Our concern is, where will they go next?"

Hayes said one solution may be to amend the Education Finance Act, which determines how much the state provides to districts on a per-pupil basis. Because of a weak economy, until last year the state had not fully funded the EFA for several years.

Hayes also sits on the state's Education Oversight Committee.

Rep. Herb Kirsh, D-Clover, who co-sponsored the Property Tax Relief bill, said he thinks the law will work but acknowledged Monday changes often are necessary with new laws. If there is a shortfall, he predicted, "the General Assembly will take it from the General Fund ... We're not going to let schools hang out there on the vine, and I'll be the first one to help you."

Newly elected Reps. Carl Gullick, R-River Hills, and Dennis Moss, D-Gaffney, also attended the meeting but mostly deferred to senior legislators.

Sen. Harvey Peeler, R-Gaffney, asked the school officials for "rebuttal information" in the current session.

"Columbia north, most of us are pro-public education," he said. "Columbia south is not so pro-public education."

Marty McGinn, chairman of Fort Mill's school board, said that between the property tax law and a law prohibiting schools from opening before the third Monday in August, the last Legislature "took away what local control we had."

Rock Hill schools Superintendent Lynn Moody asked legislators to call school districts and ask them how proposed changes would affect them.

Clover Superintendent Vickie Phelps said that, because school districts may still tax commerce and industry for operating expenses, it could place a huge burden on business, negatively affecting both the economy and business relationships with schools.

Greater Rock Hill Chamber of Commerce director Rob Youngblood also attended the meeting.

Afterward, Rock Hill board Chairman Bob Norwood said he wished more legislators had attended, but he did see some reason for hope: "They're already thinking about what they will do if there are shortfalls," he said.