H 3351 General Bill, By Govan and Cobb-Hunter
 A BILL TO AMEND SECTION 59-48-40, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976,
 RELATING TO THE SPECIAL SCHOOL OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS, AND SECTION
 59-50-40, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO ADMISSIONS CRITERIA AND STANDARDS FOR THE
 GOVERNOR'S SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES, BOTH SO AS TO PROMOTE INCREASED
 ACCESS TO THE SCHOOL BY DIVERSE STUDENT POPULATIONS BY PROVIDING THE RACIAL
 COMPOSITIONS OF THE SCHOOLS' ENROLLMENTS MUST REFLECT THAT OF THE STATE,
 DIFFERING FROM THAT STATEWIDE COMPOSITION BY NO MORE THAN TWENTY PERCENT, TO
 PROVIDE FOR THE RETENTION BY THE STUDENTS' DISTRICTS OF PERMANENT RESIDENCE OF
 ALL STATE AND FEDERAL EDUCATION FUNDING ALLOCATED FOR THESE STUDENTS, AND TO
 MAKE THESE REQUIREMENTS APPLICABLE BEGINNING WITH THE 2018-2019 SCHOOL YEAR.

   12/15/16  House  Prefiled
   12/15/16  House  Referred to Committee on Education and Public Works
   01/10/17  House  Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 170)
   01/10/17  House  Referred to Committee on Education and Public
                     Works (House Journal-page 170)

TO AMEND SECTION 59-48-40, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE SPECIAL SCHOOL OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS, AND SECTION 59-50-40, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO ADMISSIONS CRITERIA AND STANDARDS FOR THE GOVERNOR'S SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES, BOTH SO AS TO PROMOTE INCREASED ACCESS TO THE SCHOOL BY DIVERSE STUDENT POPULATIONS BY PROVIDING THE RACIAL COMPOSITIONS OF THE SCHOOLS' ENROLLMENTS MUST REFLECT THAT OF THE STATE, DIFFERING FROM THAT STATEWIDE COMPOSITION BY NO MORE THAN TWENTY PERCENT, TO PROVIDE FOR THE RETENTION BY THE STUDENTS' DISTRICTS OF PERMANENT RESIDENCE OF ALL STATE AND FEDERAL EDUCATION FUNDING ALLOCATED FOR THESE STUDENTS, AND TO MAKE THESE REQUIREMENTS APPLICABLE BEGINNING WITH THE 2018-2019 SCHOOL YEAR.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION    1.    Section 59-48-40 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 59-48-40.    (A)    The school shall admit students in accordance with criteria, standards, and the procedures established by the board. To be eligible to be considered for admission, an applicant must be a legal resident of this State. Eligibility to remain enrolled in the school terminates when a student becomes a nonresident of this State. The board shall ensure, insofar as possible without jeopardizing admission standards, that an equal number of students are admitted from each of the state's congressional districts.

(B)    In addition to the requirements of subsection (A) and in the interest of promoting access to the school by diverse student populations, the racial composition of the school enrollment must reflect that of the State, differing from that statewide composition by no more than twenty percent. A student enrolled in the school pursuant to this subsection must be included in the average daily membership of the student's district of permanent residence for purposes relating to the allocation of all state and federal education funding, and the student's membership district of permanent residence must receive one hundred percent of the base student cost from the State for this student. For the purposes of this section, 'membership district of permanent residence' means the district of the permanent residence of the student and where the student ordinarily would attend public school."

SECTION    2.    Section 59-50-40 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 84 of 2005, is further amended to read:

"Section 59-50-40.    (A)    The school shall admit students in accordance with the admission criteria, standards, and procedures as established and approved by the board. To be eligible for admission to the school, an applicant must be a legal resident of South Carolina unless a special exemption is established to accept out-of-state or international exchange students. Students must be identified as artistically talented and possess a high level of commitment, motivation, and maturity. The board shall assure, as far as possible and without jeopardizing admission standards, that an equal number of students are admitted from each of the state's congressional districts. Out-of-state or international exchange students admitted to the school shall pay tuition as determined by the board.

(B)    In addition to the requirements of subsection (A) and in the interest of promoting access to the school by diverse student populations, the racial composition of the school enrollment must reflect that of the State, differing from that statewide composition by no more than twenty percent. A student enrolled in the school pursuant to this subsection must be included in the average daily membership of the student's district of permanent residence for purposes relating to the allocation of all state and federal education funding, and the student's membership district of permanent residence must receive one hundred percent of the base student cost from the State for this student. For the purposes of this section, 'membership district of permanent residence' means the district of the permanent residence of the student and where the student ordinarily would attend public school."

SECTION    3.    This act takes effect upon approval of the Governor and is applicable to students seeking admission for the 2018-2019 School Year.