S.C. House expected to OK education bill

COLUMBIA - The South Carolina House continued to debate a massive bill on Wednesday night to overhaul education in South Carolina.

After four hours of debate Wednesday, the House rejected several changes sought by Democrats including free lunches for all students and a requirement that a teaching assistant be added to any class in kindergarten through third grade with more than 15 students in a low-performing school. Republicans said the class size issue would be taken up in the budget.

The House had about two dozen more amendments to consider before voting on the final bill.

But any changes still have a long road in the General Assembly. Earlier Wednesday, a group of senators made their first changes to the proposal, indicating there will be plenty of debate and discussion even if the bill makes it to Gov. Henry McMaster's desk before the end of the session in May.

The House's lengthy bill raises the minimum starting teacher pay to $35,000, gives the state education superintendent more ability to take over low-performing school districts and creates a $100 million fund to help bring businesses to places where schools are poor and struggling.

Leaders of both parties in the House encouraged their members to pass it, saying a yes vote would send a clear signal of their determination to not leave South Carolina floundering toward the bottom of most education achievement lists.

Four hours before the debate started, McMaster praised the House for taking "the first bold step" toward reform.

"The time to act is now. Passing this comprehensive reform will keep South Carolina competitive for jobs, talent and investment," McMaster tweeted.

The Legislative Black Caucus said it would propose several changes in the House during Wednesday's debate, including requiring smaller class sizes in struggling school districts and guaranteeing a 30-minute lunch break for teachers. They also want to add language that says students deserve the best education possible instead of the minimally adequate education the state Supreme Court ruled is guaranteed in South Carolina's constitution.

The Senate introduced its own bill, identical to the House version until Wednesday's vote by a subcommittee that removed both a proposed Student Bill of Rights and the Zero to Twenty Committee, which was meant to oversee education from pre-kindergarten to technical colleges.

The bill of rights is a good idea but could open officials to lawsuits by calling them rights, said subcommittee chairman Greg Hembree.

The Zero to Twenty Committee is unnecessary because it duplicates other things being done in the education system, the Republican from Little River said.

The Senate subcommittee will hold three more hearings on the bill in Georgetown, Hartsville and Gaffney before likely sending its version of the bill to the full Senate Education Committee.