Title 59, Education

Each district board of trustees may adopt rules and regulations which are not inconsistent with State law or the rules and regulations of the State Board of Education governing the use of school buildings for purposes other than normal school activity.

Each district board of trustees may lease any school property for a rental which the board considers reasonable or permit the free use of school property for: (1) civic or public purposes; or (2) the operation of a school-age child care program for children aged five through four…

Each district board of trustees shall have the power to purchase, rent, lease, or otherwise acquire the supplies and equipment necessary for the operation of the public schools and other school facilities of the district.

Each district board of trustees may adopt rules and regulations which are not inconsistent with State law or the rules and regulations of the State Board of Education governing the use of school equipment for purposes other than normal school activity.

Each district board of trustees shall keep its equipment in good repair.

The trustees of any school district of this State may take and hold in trust for their particular school district any property granted, devised, given or bequeathed to such school district and apply the same in the interest of the schools of their district in such manner as in th…

The district board of trustees of any school district may accept and hold in trust for its particular school district any property granted, devised, given or bequeathed to the district and use it in such manner as in its judgment seems most conducive to the welfare of the schools…

Whenever a board of school trustees deems it expedient to acquire lands for the erection thereon of any public schoolhouse or building or making any addition to or extension of any public schoolhouse or building already established or for public school playgrounds or other use fo…

Whenever a board of trustees deems it expedient to acquire lands for public school purposes with any State funds, it may purchase, subject to the prior written approval of the State Board of Education, the lots or parcels of land necessary for such purchase. The reassignment or d…

Unless it be specially provided otherwise by law, the boards of school trustees in this State shall be composed of three members, each of whom when appointed, pursuant to the terms hereof, shall hold office for a term of three years.

In case any owner of any lot or parcel of land refuses to sell it or demands what may be considered by the authorities an unreasonable price, the authorities may proceed to condemn the land pursuant to the Eminent Domain Procedure Act (Chapter 2 of Title 28).

The school trustees of the several school districts may sell or lease school property, real or personal, in their school district whenever they deem it expedient to do so and apply the proceeds of any such sale or lease to the school fund of the district. The consent of the count…

The board of trustees of any school district is hereby authorized to secure such insurance as it deems necessary relating to the operation of motor vehicles owned by the district.

Every district board of trustees may employ physicians, dentists, podiatrists, ophthalmologists, other medical specialists, optometrists, nurses, dental hygienists, and other technical and clerical personnel as may be needed.

Each public school district may use the services of personnel who are armed or delegated arrest authority to work on the premises of the district to promote safety and security on the premises, provided the district shall obtain proprietary security business licensure as provided…

Any member of the board of trustees of any school district in this State may become a member of the South Carolina School Boards Association, and the fees and dues necessary to acquire and maintain membership in this organization shall be paid by the school district.

All contracts which boards of trustees may make in excess of the funds apportioned to their districts shall be void.

The original trustees having been appointed for terms of one, two and three years, respectively, the county boards of education shall, during the first week of April in each year, appoint one trustee for each district from the qualified electors and taxpayers residing in the dist…

It shall be unlawful for a school trustee to receive pay as a teacher of a free public school that is located in the same school district of which such person is a trustee.

If a trustee of any school district shall attempt to act or discharge the duties of such office after he has been removed or after his successor shall have qualified, he shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, after conviction, be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred and…

The term of office of every elected trustee of a school district must commence one week following the certification of his election.

The school trustees shall be allowed to cross all bridges or ferries free of charge when they are traveling on official business.

The trustees of special and graded school districts created by acts of the General Assembly shall make annual reports to the State Superintendent of Education in such form and at such time as he shall prescribe.

The board of trustees of each school district may establish and provide for the education of children who will attain the age of four on or before September first of the applicable school year in child development programs. The board of trustees of school districts having program…

(A)(1) A local school district board of trustees of this State desirous of creating an avenue for new, innovative, and more flexible ways of educating children within their district, may create one or more schools of innovation within the district that are exempt from applicable …

(A)(1) If a district or school is seeking to implement competency-based education, the State Board of Education may exempt the school from state laws, policies, and regulations that hinder the implementation of certain competency-based practices. A district that wishes to obtain …

The provisions of Section 59-19-30 shall neither repeal, supersede nor annul any special act providing for the appointment or election of school trustees in any school district or in any of the several counties of the State.

(A) Within one year of taking office, all persons elected or appointed as members of a school district board of trustees after July 1, 1997, shall complete successfully an orientation program in the powers, duties, and responsibilities of a board member including, but not limited…

When school districts are consolidated, the county board of education shall appoint, from within the consolidated district, five trustees to serve as trustees of the new district, two for a term of one year, two for a term of two years and one for a term of three years. Thereafte…

Subject to the provisions of Section 59-19-90, any parent or person standing in loco parentis to any child of school age, the representative of any school or any person aggrieved by any decision of the board of trustees of any school district in any matter of local controversy in…

In counties where the functions of the boards of trustees and those of the county board of education have been combined, the appeal provided in Section 59-19-510 shall lie to the county board of education from its original action disposing of the matter in controversy before hear…

The parties shall be entitled to a prompt and fair hearing by the county board of education, which shall try the matter de novo and in accordance with its rules and regulations. Where individual children of school age are involved in the matter in controversy, the case of each ch…

At any hearing provided for in Section 59-19-530, the parties may appear in person or through an attorney licensed to practice in South Carolina and may submit such testimony, under oath, or other evidence as may be pertinent to the matter in controversy.

After the parties have been heard, the county board of education shall issue a written order disposing of the matter in controversy, a copy of which shall be mailed to each of the parties at interest.

Any party aggrieved by the order of the county board of education shall have the right to appeal to the court of common pleas of the county by serving a written verified petition upon the chairman of the county board of education and upon the adverse party within ten days from th…

Until the matter in controversy has been finally disposed of, no appeal shall act as a supersedeas or suspension of the order of the board having original jurisdiction of the cause.

Any provision of this article to the contrary notwithstanding, the decision of any board of trustees of any school district to operate or not to operate a school or schools shall not be subject to the appellate procedures specified in this article. Any such decision may be appeal…

Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, school district trustees who wilfully commit or engage in an act of malfeasance, misfeasance, chronic unexcused absenteeism, conflicts of interest, misconduct in office, or persistent neglect of duty in office, or are deemed m…

The trustees shall, as soon as practicable after the appointment of any new trustee, organize by the election of one of their members as chairman and another as clerk of the board. The chairman shall preside at meetings of the board and perform other duties imposed on him under t…

No teacher or other employee shall be employed or any purchase made except in a duly called meeting of the board, of which meeting each member has been notified in writing by the clerk of the board at least three days in advance thereof, unless a written waiver of such notice of …

(A) Each public school governing body, including the governing bodies of charter schools and special schools, must make reasonable efforts to ensure the entirety of all meetings subject to the provisions of the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act are open and accessible to …

The board of trustees shall also: (1) Provide schoolhouses. Provide suitable schoolhouses in its district and make them comfortable, paying due regard to any schoolhouse already built or site procured, as well as to all other circumstances proper to be considered so as best to pr…

Distributions of funds to a school district pursuant to the South Carolina Education Improvement Act of 1984 must be suspended after June 30, 1985, unless the school district has adopted and filed with the Division of General Services of the State Department of Administration a p…

The governing body of every school district of this State shall implement a student promotion policy which at least meets the minimum criteria established by the State Board of Education under Section 59-5-65 of the 1976 Code.

The teacher's evaluation system for continuing contract teachers, mandated by Act 187 of 1979, must be fully implemented in all school districts by school year 1984-85. A formal evaluation of continuing contract teachers must take place not less than every three years. Nothing in…