Rural Matters

Commentary on School Choice in South Carolina

This article also appeared in The Times and Democrat,
in Orangeburg, South Carolina on August 30, 2007.

Resting in their heavenly repose, South Carolina's civil rights pioneers of the 1930s and 1940s must be scratching their heads. A prominent African-American state senator, also a Democrat and minister, says many of his generational peers are longing for the days of racially segregated schools. Another minister says most African-American children "fared better when we were segregated."

These leaders are understandably frustrated. Too many children are not reaping the academic gains that African-Americans hoped would follow public school desegregation. On last year's state achievement test, more than 40,000 African-American students in grades three through eight scored "Below Basic" in English/Language Arts. An average of 60 percent of all African-American students in third through eighth grade performed at the Below Basic level in science.

There is some good news. Thousands of African-American students are performing well, scoring at the highest levels, "Proficient" or "Advanced," on the state test. However, thousands more have the unrealized potential to do so.

Proposals to solve students' academic problems abound, but many are simplistic. South Carolina has long favored such approaches in public policy. Human bondage would fuel economic development. Secession would free South Carolina of the federal yoke. Racial oppression and segregation would preserve "our way of life." Low taxes would attract industry. Providing a "minimally adequate education" will secure the state's future.

Now comes school choice...

Continue reading "GUEST AUTHOR: Hayes Mizell" »

Posted by GUEST AUTHOR at 09:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

We wanted to know more about the rural school districts that serve high poverty communities so first we statistically rounded up the 7604 districts nationwide that have over half their students in a school that is physically located in a rural community. Then we identified the 800 – about 10 percent -- that have the highest rate of eligibility for the federal Title I program. That is the program providing funds for disadvantaged students. We’ll call these 800 high-poverty rural districts the "rural 800."

Continue reading to find out more about these districts and to see a chart of the 16 states where most Rural 800 districts are located.

Continue reading "The "Rural 800" Districts" »

Posted by Marty Strange at 09:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Expansion of preschool for four-year-olds is gaining traction in the legislature, with a House education committee approving programs that would serve all Medicaid or free and reduced-price lunch eligible four-year-olds in the state. Last year’s pilot program was focused on serving the plaintiff districts that sued the state over adequate funding. The judge ruled that the state was not doing enough in early education to serve poor and rural students.

Posted by Robin Lambert at 01:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Two small rural high schools in Union County, South Carolina are likely in their last year of existence, as soon as a recent school board decision to consolidate becomes final. Even though over 700 Jonesville High and Lockhart School supporters jammed into public meetings to plead for their schools – especially notable because Lockhart has 120 students and Jonesville has 240 – the board voted 7-2 to consolidate the schools into Union High School, which has 1000 students. The two smaller schools lived under threat of consolidation for years, and successfully fought off efforts to close them until just these last few weeks. How did this happen?

Continue reading "Consolidation in One South Carolina District: More Dollars = Less Sense?" »

Posted by Amanda Adler at 11:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Choice measures have been a major issue in the legislature for the past several years and will likely return this year in some form. In November, however, voters narrowly elected Jim Rex (D) over strong choice/voucher candidate Karen Floyd who had extensive out-of-state financial support. Legislation has been filed this year to establish an open enrollment choice program in public schools; in the past Governor Mark Sanford (R), who was re-elected in November, has been a champion of privatization efforts. Legislation is also filed to establish virtual schools and to require the state to provide school bus transportation for any students who lives within a mile and a half of the school when walking would produce a risk to student safety. There is a lot of talk in South Carolina about district consolidation to the county-wide level that could see legislative action. Governor Sanford has proposed ending the state’s program of providing bonus pay to National Board certified teachers and replacing it with block grants to local districts for teacher pay incentive plans. After a court ruled in December 2005 that the state was spending too little on early childhood education, the legislature is likely to expand the pilot 4-K program they implemented last year for children in plaintiff districts.

Posted by Robin Lambert at 04:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)