All Roll Calls
Yes: 545 • No: 38
Sponsored By: Greg Hembree (Republican)
Signed by Governor
Charter School Accountability
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31 provisions identified: 11 benefits, 0 costs, 20 mixed.
The Department sets policies to ensure quality authorizing and acts as the state education agency for authorizers. It reviews each authorizer every year, and the State Board issues rules and timelines. Only registered public or independent colleges (and certain affiliates) may serve as authorizers, and the Department posts a public directory. By February 1, 2027, the Department must run an application process for new higher‑ed authorizers; those operating before January 1, 2026 are exempt from reapplying but must sign assurances. Starting May 15, 2026, the Department bears the cost to carry out these duties.
The law tightens conflict-of-interest rules for charter schools and authorizers. People with business ties to a school, or close family who do, cannot serve or be hired in roles that control school money. Authorizer board members and staff must follow state ethics laws. Lawmakers and their immediate family cannot own companies that run or lease to a charter school. You cannot serve on more than one charter or authorizer board at the same time after December 31, 2026. Starting May 15, 2026, charter and authorizer trustees must follow statewide trustee rules. Authorizers also may not take insurance commissions from school purchases. Authorizers must reject applications from members of the State Board of Education, the Education Oversight Committee, or local school boards.
The Department of Education reviews every authorizer each year and can require fixes or end an authorizer’s registration after repeated failures. A statewide authorizer can keep no more than 2% of state funds for oversight, and extra services must be optional and posted with prices. If the Department finds violations, it issues notice; the authorizer has 30 days to respond, and can appeal within 30 days. The State Board must hold a public hearing within 14 days. Authorizers cannot hold back unspent funds or charge fees when a school transfers. Authorizers must follow a state-approved procurement code and may be audited by the Legislative Audit Council.
Districts must fund charters using a set per‑pupil formula based on last year’s audited revenues, weighted student counts, and the EFA inflation factor. The Department verifies amounts before the first payment. For new or expanding schools, the Department pays districts within 15 days of verified day‑five attendance and districts pay schools within 30 days. Authorizers must pass federal and state categorical funds within 10 business days or face fines, and must report their funding methods by July 1. Converted charters get first‑year funding set by the average of the prior two years’ weighted per‑pupil amounts.
Virtual charter schools must give students daily access to teachers for live instruction, tutoring, conferencing, and intervention. They must offer real‑time lessons as appropriate and accept several ways to show attendance and participation, like live sessions, coursework, and measurable progress. Students must live in a South Carolina school district. At least 25% of core instruction must follow State Regulation 43‑601.
Only full‑time charter students count for school funding. Private or homeschool students who take virtual charter courses do not get state‑paid instructional materials. A charter school may choose to reimburse a family’s internet costs used for online learning, but it does not have to. Charter students may enroll in the state’s virtual education program if they meet that program’s rules.
Charter schools must prefer students who attended last year. Siblings can get preference. Children of employees or board members can get preference, but these seats are capped at 20% of all students. Dependents of active‑duty military can get preference up to 10% of all students. A school on a federal military base may give military priority up to 50% if the federal government provides buildings or facilities. When seats run out, admission is by lottery and nondiscrimination rules apply.
Charter contracts last 10 school years, and authorizers must evaluate schools every year and decide on renewal, nonrenewal, or revocation. Before the second-to-last year, an authorizer may send a performance report; the school has 45 days to correct or clarify it. Renewal applications must include goal progress, a public-format financial statement, and planned material changes. Authorizers may revoke or not renew only for listed reasons, and must follow a public process with timelines before nonrenewal or termination. Appeals of final authorizer decisions go to the Administrative Law Court; there is no automatic stay, but a stay may be granted for unusual hardship. Oversight must follow the charter contract and may not unduly limit a school’s independence.
Authorizers can deny a charter only if it breaks legal standards or cannot show it can run a viable school, and must give written reasons within 10 days. An authorizer cannot refuse renewal or revoke a charter just because another authorizer exists. Colleges that serve as authorizers may limit approvals to schools that fit their mission. Before November 1, 2026, the state creates a faster replication process, but schools rated below “Average” in any of the last three years cannot replicate. Expansions more than one mile away need replication approval unless the entire school relocates. A high-poverty rating alone no longer qualifies a school as an Alternative Education Campus, and applications must include full management contract terms and fees.
Applicants must file a letter of intent at least 90 days before the full application and send copies to the Department. They must also notify the local legislative delegation, and the Department posts a public list of applicants. Authorizers must give at least 10 business days’ notice of the hearing, share an evaluation report five business days before, and allow rebuttals two business days before. Authorizers must decide within 90 days; if they miss the deadline, the application is conditionally approved and the applicant has 30 days to fix issues. The Department verifies school finances within 45 days of approval. Authorizers must provide free technical help to applicants.
Most charter schools may have up to 25% noncertified teachers. Converted charters are capped at 10%. Teachers in core subjects must be certified or hold a degree in that subject. Part‑time noncertified teachers count pro rata, and authorizers must report serious conduct cases.
Charter schools and authorizers must follow the Freedom of Information Act. School boards must give their authorizer at least 48 hours’ notice before any regular meeting. Schools must post bylaws, board policies, and any management organization contracts on their website. Schools must keep and share key records like budgets, audits, and health and safety reports with their authorizer. Schools must also post monthly credit card statements within 30 days after the first payment, and employees cannot use personal cards for school purchases over $250.
Charter schools may own buildings and property for school use. Charters do not pay state or local tax on earnings or property, and property transfers to or from a charter are tax‑ and fee‑free. When a charter closes, donor‑restricted gifts return to the donor and all other assets go to the State, not to private parties.
Authorizers must send written notices of noncompliance and give schools up to 30 days to respond, and use corrective action plans or sanctions when needed. They can immediately revoke a charter if clear, convincing evidence shows an imminent threat to student health or safety. A school that gets the state’s lowest rating three years in a row must close at year’s end (the first year of operation does not count), with exemptions for schools serving 50% or more students with disabilities and AECs. Before any closure, the authorizer must run a closure plan to notify parents, move students and records, and handle funds and property properly. A charter board may also vote to end its charter early.
Authorizers must put clear outcome goals for academics, operations, governance, and finance into each charter contract. They must monitor schools, analyze data, and collect annual reports from schools and send results to the State Board by January 30. The Department provides a standard reporting template. Starting May 15, 2026, an authorizer that wilfully or knowingly violates the law can lose up to 10% of its state funding.
Charter school boards must have at least seven members with two‑year, staggered terms. At least half must have K–12 or business experience, and at least half are elected by parents and employees. Members must live in South Carolina; people with a felony cannot serve. Each school must have a trained leader and an administrator on site during school hours. Starting May 15, 2026, new administrators without prior charter leadership must complete a free orientation within 90 days of hire.
The charter authorizer is the local education agency for its charter schools. It is responsible for providing required special education services under federal and state law.
Authorizers must share information about their charter schools as enrollment options, like districts do. Each charter must tell its authorizer its enrollment rules and dates at least 60 days before enrollment starts. The Department updates the statewide charter application every year and posts it by November 1. The Department must also provide, on request at least yearly, a directory listing each school’s goals, results, and how to apply.
Authorizers must post all charter applications, renewal applications, and management-organization contracts within 30 days. They must also post their own budget, showing revenues, sources, and spending, and list any service fees by school. This gives parents and taxpayers a clearer view of how oversight money is used and what services cost.
Schools and authorizers must negotiate centrally provided services and put them in the charter contract. Gifts and grants stay with the school, must be coded and reported in the audit, and cannot be tied to admission or illegal terms. Schools may use management firms for finance; any balanced‑budget or deficit‑protection credits can be recovered only within that fiscal year and are not year‑end liabilities.
Authorizers and their affiliates cannot sell services to the schools they oversee. They cannot tie approval, renewal, or ratings to buying goods or services. They cannot take cuts from school contracts, except for narrow cases like leases, food service, or buses. This protects school dollars and families from conflicted deals.
Trustees who take office after July 1, 2026 must finish a free state orientation within one year. Authorizers can also require governance training in the charter contract. Each authorizer must run annual training for board members after their first year. The Department sets procedures to check compliance.
The Governor may suspend a governing board member who is indicted and appoint a temporary replacement. If convicted, the seat is vacant. The Governor may remove members for misconduct, conflicts of interest, chronic unexcused absences, neglect, or medical incapacity after notice and a hearing. The law defines “immediate family” as a child, a spouse, or a person you claim as a tax dependent.
Charter schools are treated like school districts for lawsuits. Charter employees get the same protection from personal liability as public school staff. The shield does not cover intentional or willful racial discrimination by the school or its employees. Families can still sue for willful racial discrimination.
The law limits a charter school to no more than 75% of a student's core classes online. At least 25% must be regular instructional opportunities, like live lessons, field trips, or other scheduled activities. This rule applies to K-12 core instruction. Families who want fully virtual study cannot get it through charter schools.
Beginning May 15, 2026, an Alternative Education Campus (AEC) serves students with significant needs, such as when 50% or more have IEPs or 85% or more are high-risk. The authorizer grants AEC status; a school with the state’s lowest rating in any of the past three years cannot get that status. AECs must follow state and federal accountability rules and written academic standards set with the authorizer, with results reported and compared to national data. Authorizers review AEC status every year; schools that miss requirements are “Under Review” and must file an improvement plan. Two failing years mean AEC status is revoked for two years. AECs may use weighted lotteries that favor mission‑aligned, educationally disadvantaged students; lottery results cannot be appealed to the authorizer.
Charter schools must follow the same health, safety, civil‑rights, and disability rules as public schools. They must meet the same minimum attendance rules and may set stricter ones. Schools must run child abuse and neglect registry checks for staff, board members, volunteers, and others who regularly meet students.
The law defines online, synchronous, and asynchronous instruction. Virtual charters must require a student orientation, set rules for non-participation, and notify parents about any disenrollment and transfer steps. Schools must use authorizer‑approved courses that meet state standards and provide all required materials. Qualified teachers must teach each course, and operators must follow the law and the charter. Parents must verify student learning hours each year. Schools must monitor progress often, give proctored tests each semester in core subjects, hold parent‑teacher conferences at least every two weeks, and run all state tests in a proctored setting.
Starting May 15, 2026, a proposed new authorizer must decide a transfer by October 31 and send its decision by November 5. If the proposed authorizer says no, that denial cannot be appealed. If it says yes, the current authorizer must decide by December 31 and allow the school to submit materials and appear. The law requires denials for avoiding accountability, illegal or late requests, or other good cause. Renewal applications are not transfers.
A charter school’s vote to transfer must happen in an open public meeting. The school must send a written transfer request to both authorizers before September 1 and include proof of the board vote. Approved transfers take effect on July 1 of the next year. If a renewal is denied and the school has no material violations, it may apply to another authorizer. In that case, it keeps local funding but only gets the same percentage of state base student funding it had before, not 100%.
Charter schools must post their annual operating budget, any debt, and the annual audit on the school website. Audits are due to the authorizer no earlier than October 15 unless the Department grants an extension. Schools must keep a searchable list of all spending over $100 and update it monthly. The list must show the amount, payee, and description, and cannot include data that identifies individual employees or their pay. A school must also notify its authorizer before taking any loan secured by school funds, property, or other assets.
Greg Hembree
Republican • Senate
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
All Roll Calls
Yes: 545 • No: 38
House vote • 5/13/2026
(Charter School Accountability)Concur in Senate Amendments
Yes: 102 • No: 1
Senate vote • 5/12/2026
(Charter School Accountability)to adopt amendment
Yes: 43 • No: 0
House vote • 4/23/2026
(Charter School Accountability)Waive Rule 5.15 Printing
Yes: 75 • No: 33 • Other: 2
House vote • 4/23/2026
(Charter School Accountability)Passage of Bill
Yes: 104 • No: 0
House vote • 4/23/2026
(Charter School Accountability)Passage of Bill
Yes: 104 • No: 0 • Other: 2
Senate vote • 2/10/2026
(Charter School Accountability)3rd Reading
Yes: 42 • No: 0
Senate vote • 2/10/2026
(Charter School Accountability)3rd Reading
Yes: 42 • No: 0
Senate vote • 5/1/2025
(Charter School Accountability)2nd Reading
Yes: 33 • No: 4
Act No. 123
Effective date 05/15/26
Signed By Governor
Ratified R 140
Roll call Yeas-102 Nays-1
Concurred in Senate amendment and enrolled
Returned to House with amendments
Roll call Ayes-43 Nays-0
House amendment amended
Scrivener's error corrected
Read third time and returned to Senate with amendments
Unanimous consent for third reading on next legislative day
Roll call Yeas-104 Nays-0
Read second time
Amended
Scrivener's error corrected
Requests for debate-Rep
Committee report: Favorable with amendment Education and Public Works
Scrivener's error corrected
Referred to Committee on Education and Public Works
Introduced and read first time
Roll call Ayes-42 Nays-0
Read third time and sent to House
Amended
Roll call Ayes-33 Nays-4
Introduced
S 0623, AN ACT TO EXEMPT GEORGETOWN COUNTY FROM CERTAIN BUILDING REQUIREMENTS AND TO ALLOW THE COUNTY TO INSTEAD ENFORCE AE STANDARDS IN GEORGETOWN COUNTY'S FLOOD DAMAGE PREVENTION ORDINANCE.
Georgetown County Building Requirements
S 0586, AN ACT TO AMEND ACT 172 OF 1995, RELATING TO THE KERSHAW COUNTY TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT EACH MEMBER OF THE KERSHAW COUNTY TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE SHALL RECEIVE NINETY DOLLARS FOR EACH MEETING AT WHICH HE IS IN ATTENDANCE AND THAT THE CHAIRMAN SHALL RECEIVE ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY-FIVE DOLLARS, AND TO PROVIDE THAT SUCH PAYMENTS SHALL NOT OCCUR MORE THAN EIGHTEEN TIMES EACH FISCAL YEAR.
Kershaw County Transportation Committee
H 5653, AN ACT TO AMEND ACT 843 OF 1952, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO THE LEE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION, SO AS TO CLARIFY THE METHOD BY WHICH PERSONS FILE TO BECOME A CANDIDATE FOR ELECTION TO THE BOARD, THE MANNER IN WHICH BOARD ELECTIONS ARE CONDUCTED, AND THE MANNER IN WHICH VACANCIES ON THE BOARD ARE FILLED; AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE ANNUAL COMPENSATION OF MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
Lee County School District Board of Trustees
S 1062, A JOINT RESOLUTION TO APPROVE REGULATIONS OF THE STATE COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION, RELATING TO DETERMINATION OF RATES OF TUITION AND FEES, DESIGNATED AS REGULATION DOCUMENT NUMBER 5443, PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF ARTICLE 1, CHAPTER 23, TITLE 1 OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS.
JR to Approve Reg. Doc. No. 5443
S 0779, A JOINT RESOLUTION TO PROVIDE THAT EACH MEMBER OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY SHALL RECEIVE A MONTHLY LEGISLATIVE EXPENSE ALLOWANCE OF ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS; TO PROVIDE FOR THE ALLOCATION OF LEGISLATIVE EXPENSE ALLOWANCE PAYMENTS BETWEEN MEMBERS WHOSE SEATS WERE VACATED DURING FISCAL YEAR 2025-2026 AND THE MEMBERS ELECTED TO FILL THE VACANCY; AND TO PROVIDE THAT MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY WHOSE SEATS WERE VACATED DUE TO THE MEMBER BEING CONVICTED OF OR PLEADING GUILTY OR NOLO CONTENDERE TO A FELONY ARE NOT ENTITLED TO A LEGISLATIVE EXPENSE ALLOWANCE PAYMENT PURSUANT TO THIS JOINT RESOLUTION.
Legislative Expense Allowance
H 5261, A JOINT RESOLUTION TO EXTEND THE DEADLINE FOR RECEIVING ALCOHOL SERVER TRAINING AS PROVIDED FOR IN CHAPTER 3, TITLE 61 TO MAY 1, 2026.
Alcohol Server Training