H 3248 General Bill, By Rice, Edge, Witherspoon and Hagood
 A BILL TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION
 59-1-421 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE EDUCATION OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE SHALL CONDUCT
 A STUDY REGARDING SCHOOL SCHEDULING IN RELATION TO THE PALMETTO ACHIEVEMENT
 CHALLENGE TEST AND REPORT TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ITS RECOMMENDATION FOR A
 UNIFORM STATEWIDE SCHOOL CALENDAR PURSUANT TO CERTAIN CONDITIONS.

   01/11/05  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-143
   01/11/05  House  Referred to Committee on Education and Public
                     Works HJ-143
   02/17/05  House  Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Hagood

TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 59-1-421 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE EDUCATION OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE SHALL CONDUCT A STUDY REGARDING SCHOOL SCHEDULING IN RELATION TO THE PALMETTO ACHIEVEMENT CHALLENGE TEST AND REPORT TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ITS RECOMMENDATION FOR A UNIFORM STATEWIDE SCHOOL CALENDAR PURSUANT TO CERTAIN CONDITIONS.

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

SECTION    1.    Article 5, Chapter 1, Title 59 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 59-1-421.    The Education Oversight Committee shall conduct a study regarding school scheduling in relation to PACT testing. From this study the Education Oversight Committee shall make a recommendation to the General Assembly for a uniform statewide school calendar by March 15, 2005. At a minimum, this calendar developed by the Education Oversight Committee shall include starting and ending dates, holidays, and testing dates. The start date recommended by the Education Oversight Committee must be on or after August twenty-fifth. If a school district elects to begin before the prescribed start date, the Department of Education shall withhold EFA funds for each day of school preceding the statewide uniform start date."

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