H 3589 {Rat #36, Act #20 of 2021} General Bill, By Allison, Lucas, M.M.Smith, Calhoon, 
Felder and Huggins
 AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 59-19-350, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976,
 RELATING TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SCHOOLS OF CHOICE EXEMPT FROM CERTAIN
 STATUTES AND REGULATIONS, SO AS TO REDESIGNATE THESE SCHOOLS AS BEING SCHOOLS
 OF INNOVATION, TO CLARIFY THAT PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS MAY ESTABLISH MULTIPLE
 SCHOOLS OF INNOVATION, AND TO PROVIDE PROCEDURES FOR OBTAINING AND RENEWING
 STATUS AS A SCHOOL OF INNOVATION. - ratified title

   01/12/21  House  Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 250)
   01/12/21  House  Referred to Committee on Education and Public
                     Works (House Journal-page 250)
   01/26/21  House  Member(s) request name added as sponsor: M.M.Smith
   01/27/21  House  Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Calhoon,
                     Felder
   01/27/21  House  Committee report: Favorable Education and Public
                     Works (House Journal-page 53)
   01/28/21  House  Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Huggins
   02/02/21  House  Requests for debate-Rep(s).  Ott, Hart, Garvin,
                     Tedder, Thigpen, Finlay, JL Johnson, Howard, R.
                     Williams, Brawley, S. Williams, Daning, Clyburn,
                     King, Cobb-Hunter, Murray, Anderson, Jefferson,
                     Govan, Robinson, Dillard, Weeks, Matthews,
                     McKnight, Wetmore, Hosey, Wheeler, and J Moore
                     (House Journal-page 24)
   02/03/21  House  Amended (House Journal-page 50)
   02/03/21  House  Read second time (House Journal-page 50)
   02/03/21  House  Roll call Yeas-81  Nays-32 (House Journal-page 50)
   02/04/21  House  Read third time and sent to Senate
                     (House Journal-page 18)
   02/04/21  Senate Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 6)
   02/04/21  Senate Referred to Committee on Education
                     (Senate Journal-page 6)
   03/04/21  Senate Recalled from Committee on Education
                     (Senate Journal-page 3)
   03/04/21  Senate Amended (Senate Journal-page 3)
   03/04/21  Senate Read second time (Senate Journal-page 3)
   03/04/21  Senate Roll call Ayes-43  Nays-0 (Senate Journal-page 3)
   03/04/21  Senate Unanimous consent for third reading on next
                     legislative day (Senate Journal-page 3)
   03/05/21  Senate Read third time and returned to House with
                     amendments (Senate Journal-page 2)
   03/10/21  House  Debate adjourned until  Tues., 3-16-21
                     (House Journal-page 32)
   03/17/21  House  Senate amendment amended (House Journal-page 25)
   03/17/21  House  Returned to Senate with amendments
                     (House Journal-page 25)
   03/17/21  House  Roll call Yeas-106  Nays-1 (House Journal-page 25)
   03/23/21  Senate Non-concurrence in House amendment
                     (Senate Journal-page 41)
   03/23/21  Senate Roll call Ayes-0  Nays-45 (Senate Journal-page 41)
   04/06/21  House  House insists upon amendment and conference
                     committee appointed Reps.  Allison, Felder,
                     Alexander (House Journal-page 96)
   04/07/21  Senate Conference committee appointed  Setzler, Hembree,
                     Rice (Senate Journal-page 18)
   04/15/21  House  Conference report received and adopted
                     (House Journal-page 6)
   04/15/21  House  Roll call Yeas-88  Nays-21 (House Journal-page 8)
   04/21/21  Senate Conference report received and adopted
                     (Senate Journal-page 44)
   04/21/21  Senate Roll call Ayes-42  Nays-1 (Senate Journal-page 44)
   04/21/21  Senate Ordered enrolled for ratification
                     (Senate Journal-page 44)
   04/22/21         Ratified R  36
   04/23/21         Signed By Governor
   04/26/21         Effective date  04/22/21
   04/26/21         Act No.  20

H. 3589

(A20, R36, H3589)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 59-19-350, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SCHOOLS OF CHOICE EXEMPT FROM CERTAIN STATUTES AND REGULATIONS, SO AS TO REDESIGNATE THESE SCHOOLS AS BEING SCHOOLS OF INNOVATION, TO CLARIFY THAT PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS MAY ESTABLISH MULTIPLE SCHOOLS OF INNOVATION, AND TO PROVIDE PROCEDURES FOR OBTAINING AND RENEWING STATUS AS A SCHOOL OF INNOVATION.

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

Schools of Choice redesignated as Schools of Innovation, procedures

SECTION    1.    Section 59-19-350(A) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"(A)(1)    A local school district board of trustees of this State desirous of creating an avenue for new, innovative, and more flexible ways of educating children within their district, may create one or more schools of innovation within the district that are exempt from applicable state statutes and regulations which govern other schools in the district. To achieve the status of a school of innovation and have exemption from specific statutes and regulations, the local board of trustees, at a public meeting, shall identify specific statutes and regulations which will be considered for exemption and shall disclose the financial model to be used. The exemption may be granted by the governing board of the district only if there is a two-thirds affirmative vote of the board for each exemption and the proposed exemption is approved by the State Board of Education, provided a district may not designate all schools in the district as schools of innovation.

(2)    To achieve the status of exemption:

(a)    A school district must identify each state statute, regulation, and local district policy from which the school is requesting exemption and specify how this flexibility will support academic achievement for students and the Profile of the Graduate. No district is permitted to request flexibility from all state regulations and statutes for any school or schools.

(b)    The district superintendent must submit a request containing the information in subitem (a) to the local board of trustees for approval, which must be considered in a public meeting and requires a two-thirds vote of the board for approval. Any change in the request must be approved by the local board by a two-thirds vote.

(c)    Once approved by a local school board, the district superintendent must submit the request to the State Board of Education for approval, which requires a two-thirds vote of the State Board. Any change in a request that is pending approval by, or has been approved by, the State Board of Education must be made in the same manner as provided in subitem (b) and this subitem for initial requests.

(3)    Each school of innovation annually before July first shall:

(a)    demonstrate compliance with the financial model identified in item (1);

(b)    provide full financial statements detailing how it receives and expends funds; and

(c)    report the academic achievement of its students as indicated by the performance of its students on the same assessments and matrices required of all other public schools, based on grade level.

(4)    Nothing in this section permits a local school district board of trustees to relinquish control or oversight of the schools created pursuant to this section, and the local school district board must ensure transparent and timely reporting of fiscal and academic performance for each school of innovation."

Time effective

SECTION    2.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

Ratified the 22nd day of April, 2021.

Approved the 22nd day of April, 2021.