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POLLED OUT OF COMMITTEE
MAJORITY FAVORABLE WITH AMENDMENT
April 9, 2002
S. 834
S. Printed 4/9/02--S. [SEC 4/12/02 11:31 AM]
Read the first time January 8, 2002.
To whom was referred a Joint Resolution (S. 834) to direct the South Carolina Department of Education to provide $192,500 in funding for the 2002-2003 fiscal year to the Charleston and Berkeley County School Districts, etc., respectfully
Has polled the Joint Resolution out with amendment, to wit:
Amend the joint resolution, as and if amended, by striking all after the title and inserting therein the following:
/ Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. The South Carolina Department of Education shall, for the 2002-2003 school year, assist interested schools in implementing structured academic mentoring programs, designed to improve student performance. The department may identify low performing schools and encourage their voluntary participation in implementing the programs. Schools implementing the structured academic mentoring programs must attempt to develop partnerships with the private sector to obtain financial and human resources for these programs. The department shall assist interested schools in developing structured academic mentoring programs that meet the criteria necessary to qualify for Reading First funds established under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 or any other resources that may be available.
A school may seek financial assistance from the department from any available resources upon certification by the school to the Superintendent of Education that a commitment of support from the private sector is available for a structured academic mentoring program. Regarding granting financial assistance, to the extent authorized by law, the department should give preference to low performing schools.
If funds are secured by the Department of Education under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, to the extent necessary, approval is hereby granted to the department to utilize the funds for structured academic mentoring programs pursuant to this section.
SECTION 2. This joint resolution takes effect upon approval by the Governor. /
Renumber sections to conform.
Amend title to conform.
EXPLANATION OF IMPACT:
Section one of the bill states that the State Department of Education shall provide $192,500 in funding for FY 2002-03 to the Charleston and Berkeley County school districts to implement the HOSTS pilot program. Therefore, funding is nonrecurring. Since a funding source is not specified the fiscal impact could be on the General Fund of the State and/or on Education Improvement Act funds.
Approved By:
Don Addy
Office of State Budget
TO DIRECT THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO PROVIDE $192,500 IN FUNDING FOR THE 2002-2003 FISCAL YEAR TO THE CHARLESTON AND BERKELEY COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO IMPLEMENT A HOSTS PILOT PROGRAM AT HOWE HALL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, PEPPERHILL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, LAMBS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, MALCOLM HURSEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AND W.J. FRASER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
Whereas, the citizens of Charleston and Berkeley Counties seek an innovative solution to increase student performance at several below average and unsatisfactory performing schools in their area; and
Whereas, the citizens of Charleston and Berkeley Counties believe that a partnership between the public education system and private business could greatly enhance the prospect of increasing student performance; and
Whereas, increasing performance at these schools benefits the private sector as well by aiding in attracting new industry to the area and increasing economic development; and
Whereas, the citizens of Charleston and Berkeley Counties desire to implement a Helping One Student to Succeed (HOSTS) pilot program at the beginning of the 2002 school year at Howe Hall Elementary School, Pepperhill Elementary School, Lambs Elementary School, Malcolm Hursey Elementary School, and W.J. Fraser Elementary School; and
Whereas, HOSTS is a structured academic mentoring program that links trained community volunteers, business partners, and student mentors with students to accelerate learning in readiness, language arts, Spanish language arts, and math. The program seeks to increase student performance by targeting low performing students who need assistance in reading, writing, vocabulary, math, and study skills. HOSTS helps schools recruit and train members of the community to serve as one-to-one mentors to implement an individualized lesson plan for each student. HOSTS is meant to compliment not replace the student's curriculum and is designed to be integrated into the student's learning experience and provide additional needed instruction and assistance; and
Whereas, the HOSTS program is truly a public and private partnership not only because private corporations assist in funding, but also because the program encourages the employees of these corporations and other members of the community to serve as volunteer instructors to provide one-to-one instruction to students in need; and
Whereas, HOSTS has a proven track record of helping schools increase student performance and has served students in school systems in over forty states across the country; and
Whereas, the United States Congress has passed the Reading First Initiative that is a federal program to provide money to the states to promote literacy. The HOSTS program is in complete alignment with the federal Reading First Initiative and should facilitate the federal government providing funds to South Carolina. Once funding begins under the Reading First Initiative, the states with the best plans for increasing student performance in reading will be the first to receive funding. The innovative nature of the HOSTS program makes it the perfect vehicle for obtaining funding under the Reading First Initiative; and
Whereas, the citizens of Charleston and Berkeley Counties realize that the success of this program will depend upon substantial participation and involvement from both the public and private sector. As a result, they seek to address the costs of this program through a combination of public and private funding. Under this plan, fifty percent of the initial year program costs will be provided by private donation and fifty percent of the initial year program costs and the initial management and implementation costs will be provided by the South Carolina Department of Education. It is estimated that the initial year program costs will be $65,000 per school for a total of $325,000 of which $162,500 will be funded by private donation and $162,500 will be funded by the Department of Education. It is further estimated that the initial management and implementation costs will be $30,000 to be funded by the Department of Education. Now, therefore,
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. The South Carolina Department of Education is directed to provide $192,500 in funding for the 2002-2003 fiscal year to the Charleston and Berkeley County School Districts to implement a HOSTS pilot program at Howe Hall Elementary School, Pepperhill Elementary School, Lambs Elementary School, Malcolm Hursey Elementary School, and W.J. Fraser Elementary School. Upon the effective date of this joint resolution, the Department will provide $30,000 in funding for the initial year management and implementation costs. The additional $162,500 in funding will be provided upon certification by the Charleston and Berkeley County Legislative Delegations to the Superintendent of Education that $162,500 has been raised in private donations to meet the remaining costs of the program.
SECTION 2. This joint resolution takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
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