Bills of note
Monday, March 4, 2013
SCHOOL SECURITY TOPS DEBATE AT
STATE HOUSE
Following the tragic school shootings at Sandy
Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn., in December,
national awareness and debate has increased over
how best to protect students in a school setting.
Several bills in the state Legislature have been filed
and even debated in recent weeks.
S.394, to provide that a student with an
intellectual disability may be eligible for a LIFE
Scholarship; S.436, to allow a school district to
sponsor a charter school in a contiguous district
if the school serves predominantly at-risk
students; S.451, to provide that private
childcare facilities, private schools and home
schools be taxed in the same manner as their
public counterparts; H.3634, to authorize
schools to say a prayer at the start of each
school day; H.3643, concerning changes to the
adult education system; H.3648, concerning the
authority of the local school board to establish
the school calendar; H.3721 concerning the First
Steps to School Readiness program; H.3725, the
Safe Access to Vital Epinephrine (SAVE) Act; and
H.3726 concerning snacks and foods in schools.
The various legislative proposals span the
spectrum from arming teachers and administrators
who hold a concealed weapons permit, subject to
local board approval (H.3160), requiring each
district to develop a school lockdown plan in the
event of an emergency situation (H.3364), to a state requirement that every school request a school
resource officer (SRO) to be supplied and funded by counties or municipalities (H.3237). SCSBA has
testified that it supports an SRO in every public school, but opposes any proposition that is an unfunded
mandate. The cost of paying for an SRO in every school has been estimated at some $80 million, which
has lawmakers looking for a less expensive approach. Further, experts have said that it could take
several years to fill these SRO positions.
Other related bills include:
 allowing schools to establish an elective, one-semester course in firearm marksmanship (S.162)
 requiring counties or cities to provide a school resource officer (SRO) for every school in their district
provided that the necessary state funds are appropriated to the school district (S.249);
 requiring every school to employ a full-time school psychologist to help identify and address mental
health needs of students (H.3365)
 creating a new class of law enforcement officers for armed protection in schools, “School Protection
Officer Act” (H.3601)
The House Ways and Means Committee, which finalized its version of the FY2013-2014 state budget on
February 21, did not include funding for SROs.
HOUSE BUDGET DEBATE SET FOR WEEK OF MARCH 11
The House is set to debate the budget March 12 – 14. The full Ways and Means Committee finalized its
work on the FY2013-2014 budget February 21. As proposed, the base student cost (BSC) under the
Education Finance Act could be as much as $2,101 (up from the current year amount of $2,012, but well
below the statutorily required amount of $2,771). Other budget items of note include the following:
 $17.2 million (recurring) increase to EFA to close current year’s funding gap.

$56.4 million (recurring) increase to EFA which is expected to place the BSC at $2,101. A newly
adopted budget proviso would require all districts to give a teacher salary step increase in the next
budget year.

$7.2 million (recurring and nonrecurring) increase for transportation.

$36.2 million (tobacco settlement) to continue funding the IDEA Contingency Reserve fund.

$10.5 million (Capital Reserve) for school bus lease/purchase.

$11.5 million (nonrecurring and EIA recurring) for instructional materials.

$2.9 million (EIA recurring) for 4-year-old kindergarten.
 $48.7 million (EIA) for teacher salary supplement.
State lawmakers continue to express anxiety over the potential impact of mandated federal funding cuts
through the sequestration that went into effect March 1. The National School Boards Association has
distributed state-by-state information on the sequestration’s estimated impact, using information from
the White House Office of Management and Budget's estimates of a 5 percent across-the-board budget
cut from Fiscal Year 2012 funding levels. The information for South Carolina may be viewed at
http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/sequester-factsheets/South-Carolina.pdf
Open enrollment; miscellaneous bills
The Senate Education K-12 Subcommittee on February 28 reported out favorably the public school
choice and open enrollment bill (S.313). While testifying in support of the bill, SCSBA raised several
concerns, including the inability of a “receiving district” to charge tuition to a nonresident student. The
bill heads to the full Senate Education Committee. The subcommittee also took testimony and
adjourned debate on a bill giving districts flexibility to purchase digital textbooks with instructional
resources funding (S.362). This bill will be in front of the K-12 Subcommittee again at 11 a.m. on March
6. Finally, the subcommittee voted down a bill to allow for the suspension of a student’s driver’s license
upon dropping out of high school or receiving too many absences (S.158).
A joint resolution to extend the date for issuing teacher contracts to May 15 (H.3453) is currently on the
senate calendar. It received a favorable report from the Senate Education Committee February 27. The
committee also reported out favorably a joint resolution to authorize school districts for the 2012-2013
fiscal year to sell or lease school property without having to seek county council approval (S.0010). The
bill is in response to the deletion of a budget proviso dealing with the same topic and is on the senate
calendar.
The House Judiciary Committee on February 26 amended and reported out favorably a bill to make
substantial changes to the state’s Freedom of Information Act (H.3163). SCSBA supports the changes to
the bill, which now heads to the House floor.
The House Education K-12 Subcommittee on February 27 amended and reported out favorably a bill to
exempt schools and certain school-related entities from fees and reporting requirements of the state’s
Solicitation of Charitable Funds Act (H.3091). The bill’s next stop is in the full House Education
Committee. The House Education K-12 Subcommittee also amended and reported out favorably a bill to
require school districts to establish policies concerning the nature and risk of concussions sustained by
student athletes (H.3061). The SC Department of Health and Environmental Control is charged with
developing model policies for school districts. The proposed legislation contains three key parts:
 concussion education for coaches, players, and parents
 removal of an athlete when an injury occurs
 appropriate recovery before an athlete is released to play; and appropriate academic instructional
alternatives for athletes suffering from a concussion
Finally, the subcommittee reported out favorably a bill allowing schools to change the 180-day
requirement for classroom time into the equivalent number of hours (H. 3474).
TELL US WHAT YOU THINK
Be sure to click on the “Post Your Comments” tab on the links to bills cited in the Biweekly Legislative
Update and tell us your thoughts about the bill.
Scott Price, SCSBA General Counsel
South Carolina School Boards Association
111 Research Drive
Columbia, SC 29203
800.326.3679
scsba.org