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House Leadership, Superintendent Weaver Announce Proposal for Universal School Choice

New Legislation Will Expand the Education Scholarship Trust Funds Program


(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – House Speaker Murrell Smith joined South Carolina Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver, House E.P.W. Committee Chairlady Shannon Erickson, House Majority Leader Davey Hiott and House E.P.W. K-12 Subcommittee Chairman Jeff Bradley this morning to announce a new legislative proposal to expand school choice in South Carolina. The legislation, sponsored by Chairlady Erickson, was immediately introduced on the House floor after the press conference.


The proposal aims to expand and perfect the Education Scholarship Trust Fund legislation that became law last year (Act #8 of 2023). Notably, the proposal includes universal eligibility for all families by the 2026-27 school year. The proposal will continue to expand educational opportunities for South Carolinians, while improving the process to achieve a more streamlined, efficient, and effective experience for students and their families.


“By empowering families with choice, we empower the students of our state with increased access to educational success,” said Speaker of the House Murrell Smith. “This legislation is critical in continuing our innovative approach to unlocking the full potential of our education system and meeting the needs of many more children. I look forward to this proposal’s consideration by the House in the coming weeks.”


“Parents are hungry for the opportunity to customize their children’s education, and we are immensely grateful for the visionary legislative leadership in the House and Senate that made South Carolina’s new Education Scholarship Trust Fund a reality,” said Superintendent Ellen Weaver. “The ESA model, tried and tested successfully in states like Arizona and Florida, allows vital flexibility for families to customize their child’s education. Expanding this opportunity to even more families is an essential next step in building a strong education ecosystem for South Carolina’s future. I am grateful to Speaker Smith and Chairlady Erickson for their leadership and unwavering commitment to expand educational excellence for every student in our Palmetto State.”


“Parents want, and truly need, choices for their children’s education,” said Chairlady Shannon Erickson. “The Education Scholarship Trust Fund makes enormous strides to help all students get educational services, but we realized that more must be done. The bill we are filing today shows the House’s commitment to refining and expanding Education Scholarship Accounts so that no family is locked out from the educational opportunities. The bold, universal system proposed in the upcoming bill will help more students realize the futures they desire.”

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