Sullivan’s Island Citizens Group Still Fighting for Referendum

A Sullivan’s Island citizens group plans to continue pushing for a public vote on a controversial  elementary school-construction project, despite inaction by the Town Council on a sought-after referendum, a group spokeswoman said this week.

House Committee Gives Nod to Fresh on the Campus Bill

Fresh on the Campus bill gets favorable committee report.

School Skippers Given Second Chance under House Bill

A freshman S.C. House member is proposing a law that would give high school and younger students who routinely play hooky another shot at passing classes they might otherwise fail because of excessive absenteeism.

HPV Vaccine Bill Could Provoke Controversy

An S.C. House bill to have the state provide optional vaccinations to middle school girls against a sexually transmitted disease known as the HPV virus could prove to be controversial.

Republicans Back Away from School Flexibility Bill

Bill to allow school districts to move up start of school year by one week runs into strong opposition - from legislator who claims to be pro-school choice.

Bill to Give Arts Commission Steady Funding Gets Favorable Report

Senate subcommittee gives favorable report on bill that would give steady funding to S.C. Arts Commission.

Legislation Looks to Take “Palmettovore” Program to Schools

Legislation would let school districts join program that puts S.C. produce and goods in schools.

Three SC Entities Win Transparency Awards

Aiken County, Anderson County and Pickens County School District were recognized by Sunshine Review for transparency efforts.

S.C. House Bill Would Raise Student Dropout Age

Students would be required to attend school until they are 18 years old instead of 17 under an S.C. House bill introduced last week.

Lawmakers Move to Stop School Bond Bills

Several S.C. school districts that are seeking the General Assembly’s approval to allow them to sell taxpayer-backed bonds for daily operations likely will face an even tougher fight when lawmakers return to Columbia next week.

Foreign Teachers Favored in S.C. K-12 Hiring, Recruiter Claims

Despite the loss of thousands of teaching jobs in South Carolina in recent years, some public school districts in the Palmetto State have been hiring foreign teachers over American applicants, a teacher recruiter claims.

Results of District 5 Audit Detailed

Alan Grimsley of the accounting firm of Derrick Stubbs & Stith presents his report on the Lexington Richland District 5 2010-11 fiscal year audit.

Attorney Tells District 5 How Bond Money Can be Spent

McNair Law Firm attorney Francenia Heizer, speaking at the Nov. 14 Lexington Richland District 5 school board meeting, discusses what projects may be undertaken as a result of the 2008 bond referendum.

Richland 2 Crawls onto Transparency Bandwagon

Chapin Student Tells District 5 Board Member Don't Oppose Renovation

Chapin High School sophomore class president Matteo Macaluso singled out Lexington-Richland District 5 school board member Kim Murphy during the Nov. 14 board meeting for her opposition to renovating his school.

“… let it be known should there be any further delays to purposely stall our much-needed renovations you will be met with heavy resistance not only from around the community but also by the student body of Chapin High School. Especially since you continually insult all of our intelligences, because at Chapin high school, in case you didn’t know, we have smart students who see right through your lies. … And if needed, this resistance will form, I personally guarantee it.”

Yates: District Not Forthcoming With Responses

Speaking during the public participation portion of the Oct. 24 Lexington-Richland School District 5 board meeting, retiree Ed Yates expresses his frustration with district officials regarding his attempts to get answers on questions concerning district spending.

Yates says all he’s been doing is asking questions about how some of the district money has been spent, but he feels the district has not been forthcoming with its responses.

District 5: Let Taxpayers Look Up Data Themselves

When Lexington-Richland School District 5 Chief Financial Officer Karl Fulmer is asked if the district's online check registers can be made easier to read by using account names instead of 15-digit codes, he says the district is only required to publish its check registers.

Afterward, board member Ed White says that since the district recently posted information on its website explaining how expenditures are categorized by code, District 5 constituents can go look up the information for themselves.

District 5 Officials Balk at Adding Information to Check Registers

District 5 Puts Teacher on 'Restriction,' Guts Course

An $85,000 “Learning” Trip for Richland 2 Principals

Nearly All S.C. School Districts Have Check Registers Online

S.C. Forester Wants School Payments Cut

School Board Member Alleges Abuse of Power by Board Chairman

An outspoken Charleston County School Board member says she was targeted by the board chairman and threatened with removal from her elected position this month after she forwarded an electronic version of a meeting agenda to a constituent.

Superintendents: Earning Their Keep?

If South Carolina’s top-paid school superintendents had to justify their salaries based on their districts’ annual report cards, many of them would have some explaining to do.

Claim: The Problem is Spending, Not Lack of Revenue

Lexington 1 Spending Ranks Low Among S.C. Districts

Huge Reserves Untapped in Special Ed Funding Controversy

Lexington 1 Says Student Funding at 1999-2000 Level

Lexington 1 Attributes Funding Decline to Act 388

Richland 2 Adds $1,000 Bonus for Teacher Attendance

For more than a year, Richland School District 2 officials have failed to follow a state law directing it to post the spending details of its budget online, arguing that it will not do so until it receives funding from the state.

Viers: Why S.C. Should Look at School Choice

Only Two S.C. School Districts Don’t Post Finances

Only Lexington 1 and Richland 2 have failed to post their check registers on the Internet. And Lexington 1 is in the process of purchasing a new software program and plans to upload its check registers once the new system is in place this summer.

New Debt Proposed for School Districts

Higher Ed Spending Transparency Bill Likely Dead – Again

Legislation requiring South Carolina’s state-supported colleges and universities to post their spending online looks like it might die in the General Assembly this year.

John de la Howe Shreds Records Prior to Audit

A Tale of Two Charter Schools

If ever there was a case for more school choice – and an example of roadblocks the public education establishment sets up to thwart it – Hope Academy Charter School is such an example.

The story of Hope Academy is at once a tale of a community – well – hoping; and – by contrast – an entrenched system holding fast to power and money.

Bill Would Cap Payouts to School Superintendents

In March 2009, the Marlboro County School Board in a split vote approved buying out then-Superintendent’s Alisa Goodman’s contract for $400,000, throwing in another $10,000 to cover her attorney fees, according to published reports.

Handful of Districts Hold Out on Transparency

All but four of South Carolina’s 85 school districts – Dillon 2, Lexington 1, Orangeburg 4 and Richland 2 – have posted their check registers online.

Lawmakers Loosening Control of Dillon Schools?

Summit Generates Much Reaction, Little Agreement

17 Years Later, School Funding Case Unresolved

Online Register Upsets Some on Kershaw Board

Judge Rejects Group's Charter School Appeal

Board Adopts National Standards Despite Concerns

District 5 Watchdog Facing Legal Action

Tensions Surrounding Chapin High Project Rise

$136K Instructor Puts in Half Day During Summer

S.C. School Districts Short on Transparency

Parent Learns Hard Way Schools Make Their Own Rules

District 5 Discussing Another Bond Issue

Boundary Funding: Good Idea, Bad Timing

Sembler Giveaway: School Money to be Siphoned

District 5: Home of the $136K Teacher

Stimulus and S.C. Teacher Jobs - Checking the Facts

Public Charter Schools Struggle to Stay Afloat

State Prints Tanzanian Texts as Schools Struggle