COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina House members passed a private school voucher bill Wednesday that would give public dollars for some private school education.
The bill cleared the South Carolina Senate in January and could soon head to the governor's desk for his signature.
"It's time we give parents the option and choice to send their children to a learning environment that they choose," said Rep. R.J. May, a Republican from Lexington.
The bill approved is known as the education scholarship account bill, which would give eligible families $6,000 vouchers for private school tuition and other education expenses.
"We've kept our commitment to public education, to teachers, and now we're giving options to parents," said House Speaker Murrell Smith , a Republican from Sumter.
Under the proposal, families making up to $100,000 would be eligible for vouchers. That means nearly two-thirds of families in the state will be eligible under the program by 2026. New voucher recipients would be limited to students who attended public school the previous year.
But while many would be eligible, only a small number of vouchers would be available. Just 5,000 would be offered in year one, while in the third year, about about 15,000 would be offered. That would mean only about two percent of the state's public school population could participate.
Democrats and educators have opposed the bill saying it drains money from public schools.
"I think this bill simply picks winners and losers," said Rep. Deon Tedder, a Democrat from Charleston.
J.R. Green is the Fairfield County Superintendent. He says many private schools won't take every student, which public schools are required to do.
"I simply say if you're gonna receive the public dollar, you're gonna need to receive the public student. and you have to be accountable to the public the same way public schools are," Green said.
The legislature's Republican majority argues families deserve school choice.
"Having folks compete for students and letting parents vote with their feet on where they want their children to be educated is not a bad thing," said Rep. Shannon Erickson, a Republican from Beaufort.
The bill needs final approval in the Senate before it heads to the governor's desk.
Earlier this year the house passed approved a constitutional amendment to repeal a constitutional prohibition on funding private schools with public dollars.