school Archives - SC Senate Republican Caucus

PRESS RELEASE: Senate Republicans Keep Political Activism Out of the Classroom

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 10, 2023

SENATE REPUBLICANS KEEP POLITICAL ACTIVISM OUT OF THE CLASSROOM

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Today, Senate Republicans passed H. 3728, the Transparency and Integrity in Education Act. The bill protects students from political indoctrination by identifying certain concepts which must not be included in classroom instruction. According to the bill, no student may be taught that one race is inherently superior to another race or that members of one race bear responsibility for the actions committed in the past by members of the same race.

Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey celebrated the bill’s passage: “The citizens of South Carolina do not want political activism in the classroom. H. 3728 keeps the subjective opinions of those who want to rewrite American History from creeping into South Carolina’s schools.”

The bill encourages fact-based discussions of history. “I want students to learn about Jim Crow,” Senator Massey added. “I want them to learn about slavery. I want them to learn about the holocaust. I don’t want them to be blamed for those things.”

Republicans are committed to fighting for truth and transparency in education. This legislation requires that all instructional materials be made known to parents and available for review. “This is the year of parental rights, and today the Senate took a giant step toward eliminating classroom secrecy,” said Senator Larry Grooms, a member of the Senate Education Committee. “Parents have a right to know what is being taught in their child’s classroom, and today Republicans enshrined that right into law.”

H. 3728 returns to the House for concurrence and then to the Governor’s desk.

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PRESS RELEASE: South Carolina Senate Doubles Down on Education

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 16, 2023

SOUTH CAROLINA SENATE SENATE DOUBLES DOWN ON EDUCATION

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Today, Senate Republicans passed S. 285, the Academic Choice in Education (ACE) act. The bill permits nonprofit scholarship funding organizations to issue scholarships for qualifying students to cover the educational expenses associated with attending a private school or home school program. Taxpayers may claim contributions to funding organizations against their tax liability.

Senate Republicans today kept their promises to students and taxpayers by passing another major school-choice initiative. The Academic Choice in Education act will fund school choice for thousands of South Carolina students at no cost to the State while reducing burdens on taxpayers.

Senator Tom Davis, who authored the bill stated: “When providers have to compete and consumers are given a choice, the result is a better service at a lower cost. The State’s education system lacks the benefit of this market principle, and today the Senate fixed that.”

Students in public schools, including disadvantaged and exceptional needs children, as well as children in home school programs, are eligible to receive scholarship funding. “South Carolina’s children deserve a robust educational system with options: public, private, parochial, and home schools,” said Senator Sean Bennett, chairman of the subcommittee who heard public testimony on the bill. “Today, the Senate added to State’s toolbox another choice for students and families.”

Majority Leader Shane Massey made clear at the start of the legislative session that education reform is the number one priority for the Senate Republican Caucus. The passage of the ACE act comes on the heels of S. 39, adopted in February, which creates trust funds for low-income families to cover costs associated with sending students to the school of their choice.

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PRESS RELEASE: South Carolina Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey Releases Statement on the Passage of School Choice Bill

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 1, 2023

SOUTH CAROLINA SENATE MAJORITY LEADER SHANE MASSEY RELEASES STATEMENT ON THE PASSAGE OF SCHOOL CHOICE BILL

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Today, the South Carolina Senate adopted S. 39, a bill to establish Education Scholarship Trust Funds. Qualifying students will be able to use the scholarship funds to cover costs associated with attending the school of their choice.

Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey issued the following statement:

“School choice will transform education in South Carolina. With today’s vote, Senate Republicans stood up for South Carolina’s working families. This landmark legislation will give low-income parents the option to send their children to the school that is best suited for them. School choice means the quality of a child’s education will no longer be determined by his or her zip code.”

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