Rep. LONG proposes the following Amendment No. to H.5126 as Passed By The House

(Doc Name h:\legwork\house\amend\h-wm\004\h2-estf unbundlers.docx):

EXPLANATION: ESTF Unbundlers

Amend the bill, as and if amended, Part IB, Section 1, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, page 313, after line 3, by adding an appropriately numbered proviso to read:

/(SDE: ESTF Unbundlers) (A) For the current fiscal year, Section 59-8-110(14)(n) is suspended.

(B) Education Scholarship Trust Fund recipients who are not enrolled full-time in a school as defined by SC Code Section 59-65-10(A) shall be deemed an "unbundler" participating in a parent-led personalized learning plan, provided they meet the following requirements:

(1) The parent or guardian of an unbundler must hold at least a high school diploma or an equivalent certification.

(2) The program of study of the parent-led personalized learning plan must conform to the requirements of Section 59-8-115(D)(4)(a).

(3) The instructional year must be at least one hundred eighty days.

(4) Educational records must be maintained by the parent or guardian and include:

(a) a plan book, diary, or other record indicating subjects taught and activities in which the unbundler and parent or other education service provider engage; and

(b) a portfolio of samples of the unbundler's academic work and progress in each of the required instructional areas.

(5) In addition to the annual standardized assessments required in Section 59-8-150(C), parents or guardians must submit to the Department a semiannual progress report including documentation, attendance records, and evidence of the unbundler's academic progress in each of the required instructional areas.

(C) The Department shall:

(1) terminate current and future scholarships for parents or guardians who fail to comply with educational recordkeeping or assessment submission requirements;

(2) approve education service providers that provide transcript services for unbundlers; and

(3) provide the parent or guardian of an unbundler with a letter documenting their legal status as a South Carolina student pursuant to Section 56-1-176, for purposes including, but not limited to, obtaining a drivers permit or licenses, or state identification.

(D) Unbundlers shall be treated as students educated under Section 59-65-40, 59-65-45, or 59-65-47 for purposes of eligibility for any state-funded tuition grant programs or scholarships, as well as eligibility for interscholastic activities under Section 59-63-100. (E) Nothing in this proviso shall in any way alter home instruction programs established in Section 59-65-40, 59-65-45, or 59-65-47. /

Renumber sections to conform.

Amend totals and titles to conform.