Courson: SC investing in schools
Filed Under Caucus, Top News, Courson
The University of South Carolina just bestowed upon Sen. John Land and me honorary doctor of law degrees. We were pleased our alma mater recognized our strong support of education, and pleased even more by what these honors given to a leading Republican and a leading Democrat demonstrate: The S.C. Senate is committed to a bipartisan effort of providing the best possible education for our citizenry.
This year we passed what I call “The Education Budget” — the largest single appropriation for K-12 and higher education in South Carolina’s history. This remarkable feat was accomplished without a general tax increase and with almost 10 percent of the total budget returned to taxpayers in tax relief. Senate Finance Chairman Hugh Leatherman was a tremendous advocate in the Senate’s successful effort to put education and taxpayers first.
That funding — $3.3 billion — represents a wise investment in the lives of our future leaders, paying for a number of important new and expanded programs that will positively affect K-12. Among them:
• A 15-year school bus replacement cycle was adopted, along with the initial purchase of 551 new school buses.
• Every public elementary school will now be able to afford a school nurse.
• The S.C. Virtual School Program was established after a successful pilot program and will receive funding for teachers, staff, curriculum development, course materials and technology.
• The Education Economic Development Act’s model dropout prevention programs will be expanded, with additional high school guidance specialists hired.
• Early childhood education was significantly funded through the 4K Child Development Education Pilot Program and the First Steps to School Readiness program.
• Teacher salaries will continue to be, on average, $300 above the Southeastern average, and the highly successful National Board Certified Teacher Program was fully funded.
• The Education Finance Act was substantially increased, and the Education Improvement Act funding was increased for summer school, technical assistance and student assessment.
The Palmetto State’s 33 public colleges and universities are receiving unparalleled increases in state funding and scholarship appropriations, as well. This mitigates the need for massive tuition increases.
Our technical colleges are often models for other states. Dollar for dollar, an investment in our technical college system is one of our best investments. Funding for the Allied Health Initiative will help address our nursing and health care shortages. South Carolina’s industry, economy and commerce depend heavily on our technical system’s continued success and expansion efforts.
State funding enables continued collaboration between our research institutions — the University of South Carolina, Clemson University and the Medical University of South Carolina — most recently with the S.C. Light Rail, a research network that will connect universities, research institutions and Health Sciences South Carolina partners. Also, the popular Endowed Chair program was funded.
Scholarship funding was increased dramatically, which demonstrates the success of our plan to encourage our best and brightest to choose in-state institutions of higher learning. Presidents of our colleges and universities report that more than 90 percent of South Carolina’s in-state students receive a scholarship. Yet even with the growth, not only were Palmetto Fellows, LIFE and HOPE scholarships fully funded for 2007-2008; we also enhanced the monetary value of scholarships for students majoring in science, math, engineering and health care.
While financial resources can provide opportunities for learning, the investment is meaningless without students who have the commitment and self-discipline to learn, faculty and administrators dedicated to this most worthy vocation and — just as important — parents who support their children and educators in the process. I am encouraged by the progress we have made and confident that together we are capable of meeting the challenges before us.
Like almost 1 million Palmetto State students, my family is looking forward to the upcoming school year. My wife, Lisa, is a former public school teacher, and our youngest son, Harris, will be in sixth grade at Hand Middle School. We are deeply grateful to South Carolina’s professional educators, and we wish them and our students a great school year.
Sen. Courson, a Columbia businessman, chairs the Senate Education Committee.
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