The SPEAKER granted Rep. CANTY a leave of absence for the remainder of the day.
Rep. THOMAS continued speaking.
Rep. MARTIN spoke in favor of the amendment.
Rep. MARTIN continued speaking.
Rep. McELVEEN spoke upon the amendment.
Rep. HUFF moved that the House do now adjourn.
Rep. A. YOUNG demanded the yeas and nays, which were taken resulting as
follows:
Those who voted in the affirmative are:
Anderson Askins Baxley Beatty Boan Breeland Brown, G. Brown, J. Byrd Carnell Cato Cave Chamblee Clyburn Cobb-Hunter Cooper Elliott Govan Harrison Harvin Herdklotz Hines Hodges Howard Huff Inabinett Jennings Kennedy Kinon Klauber Lanford Lloyd Marchbanks Martin McAbee McElveen McKay McTeer Moody-Lawrence Neal Rhoad Rice Rogers Scott Sheheen Smith, D. Spearman Stille Thomas Townsend Tucker Waldrop Whipper, L. Whipper, S.
White Wilder Wilkes Worley
Those who voted in the negative are:
Allison Bailey Brown, H. Cain Cotty Cromer Dantzler Davenport Easterday Fair Fulmer Gamble Hallman Harrell Hutson Jaskwhich Keegan Kelley Kirsh Knotts Koon Law Limehouse Littlejohn Mason McCraw Quinn Richardson Riser Robinson Sandifer Seithel Sharpe Shissias Simrill Smith, R. Stuart Tripp Trotter Vaughn Walker Wells Whatley Wilkins Witherspoon Wofford Wright Young, A.
So, the motion to adjourn was agreed to.
Further proceedings were interrupted by adjournment, the pending question being consideration of Amendment No. 1.
Rep. COOPER moved to reconsider the vote whereby debate was adjourned on H. 3827 until April 25, 1995, and the motion was noted.
Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter
The House assembled at 10:00 A.M.
Deliberations were opened with prayer by the Chaplain of the House of Representatives, the Rev. Dr. Alton C. Clark as follows:
Almighty and most merciful God, we praise You for Your many blessings. Make us ever conscious of our debt of gratitude to You. Cause us to know always that this is God's world, the object of God's creation, the arena of man's activity, the scene of man's struggle; that this is God's time - exciting and full of hope, though sometimes confusing and full of anxiety; that we are God's people, called into being and sustained by God's power. Make us always aware that, as God's children, we are to speak His words and do His will.
So use us, we pray, to Your glory and to Your name's honor.
Amen.
Pursuant to Rule 6.3, the House of Representatives was led in the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America by the SPEAKER.
After corrections to the Journal of the proceedings of yesterday, the SPEAKER ordered it confirmed.
Rep. KIRSH moved that when the House adjourns, it adjourn in memory of Wyman Wallace of Clover, which was agreed to.
Dear Mr. Speaker:
On behalf of the Governor's School for the Arts Study Committee, I am pleased
to submit the enclosed Final Report of the Committee.
After several months of meetings and the completion of a thorough and thoughtful selection process, we offer our recommendations for further review and consideration by the General Assembly.
Copies of the final report are available through Legislative Printing or through my office at Suite 313 of the Gressette Building.
As Chairman of the Study Committee, I would like to extend special recognition and thanks to Representatives Elsie Rast Stuart and Carole Wells for their participation and assistance on the Committee.
Sincerely,
J. Verne Smith
Chairman
Governor's School for the Arts Study Committee Membership:
* Created by Act 447 of 1994.
* Senators Smith and Washington representing the Senate, Representatives Carole
Wells and Elsie Rast Stuart from the House, one member appointed by the
Governor, Dr. Leo Twiggs of Orangeburg, the State Superintendent of
Education, and a representative of the Chairman of the Commission on Higher
Education, Mr. Willard Metcalf of Greenville.
Committee Tasks:
* Required to report to the General Assembly by April 1, 1995, with
recommendations regarding the following issues:
*determine the feasibility of additional state funding for a nine-month residential school for the arts and humanities;
*recommend a location for the school; and
Committee Process for Selecting Location:
* 1st Survey: Request for Information mailed to approximately 500 persons,
including mayors, school superintendents, arts organizations, public and
private colleges and universities, technical colleges, and local chambers of
commerce; 7 responses received: Anderson College; Winthrop University; USC-
Spartanburg; USC-Columbia; City of Union; City of Aiken; Greenville
Alliance.
* 2nd Survey: Location Survey to invite proposals for locating school - mailed
to same list as Request for Information; 5 responses received: City of
Aiken; City of Union; City of Newberry; USC-Spartanburg; Greenville Alliance.
Committee Recommendations:
* establish a nine-month residential Governor's School for the Arts and
Humanities in Greenville, South Carolina. This would be a self-contained
campus located within walking distance of downtown Greenville and the
Performing Arts Center. Operating cost: approximately $1.4 million annually
excluding costs for personnel and distance learning.
* state funding for the capital expenditures for the school based on the amount
raised by the community in a statewide campaign for private funds (with a
goal of two dollars private funds for every one dollar in state match).
Capital cost: $14.5 million total.
* the governing body of the school adopt as its policy the Access Plan
developed by the Committee to ensure qualified students from all geographic
areas of the state and with limited financial means have an opportunity to
attend the school.
* the Study Committee continue its work beyond the April 1, 1995, deadline for
the duration of the project; and the governing body of the school be
appointed by July 1, 1995, to allow the governing body to provide leadership
in the statewide campaign.
Submitted by:
Senator J. Verne Smith
Chairman
Act 447 of 1994 created the Governor's School for the Arts Study Committee. The Committee, chaired by Senator J. Verne Smith, is comprised of two members of the Senate, two members of the House of Representatives, one member appointed by the Governor, the State Superintendent of Education or her designee, and the Chairman of the Commission on Higher Education or his designee.
ISSUES:
The Committee was charged with three tasks: to determine the feasibility and desirability of additional state funding for a nine-month residential school for the arts and humanities; to recommend a location for the school; and to review the issue of access for students from all geographic locations and with limited economic means. The Committee conducted two, statewide surveys first, to gauge the potential interest in locating the school and second, to invite proposals for selecting the site. The surveys also served to determine the potential capital and operating costs for the school. The Committee also drafted and approved an Access Plan to satisfy its task to review geographic and financial access for students across the state.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
The Committee recommends the establishment of a nine-month residential Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities in Greenville, South Carolina. State funding for the necessary capital expenditures for the school would be based on the amount raised by the community in a statewide campaign for private funds (including local government
The Committee further recommends that the governing body of the school adopt as its policy the Access Plan developed by the Committee to ensure that qualified students from all geographic areas of the state and with limited financial means have an opportunity to attend the school.
The Committee further recommends that the Study Committee continue its work beyond the April 1, 1995, deadline for the duration of the project. The Committee further recommends that, in accordance with Act 447, the governing body of the school be appointed by July 1, 1995, so that members of the governing body can provide leadership in the statewide capital campaign.
INTRODUCTION
In November, 1980, the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts was established by Governor Richard W. Riley. Furman University was designated as the summer home for the school and, in 1981, the first five-week program was held. Since 1981, enrollment in the summer program has grown from 118 students to 250, and the budget has increased from $187,000 to $1.3 million. More than 2,000 rising junior and senior high school students have completed the five-week summer program. The program provides intensive training for artistically talented students in creative writing, dance, music, theater, and the visual arts.
In addition to the five-week Honors program, the Governor's School for the Arts established several other initiatives: a graduate internship program for South Carolina arts teachers; a two-week preparatory dance program for younger students, ages 12-14; a statewide outreach program to increase awareness of and access to the Governor's school programs; and a two-week outreach academy housed at Converse College for approximately 67 sophomores from rural and small school districts. These programs, along with the five-week Honors program, represent a statewide effort to reach artistically gifted students and to provide them with a greater appreciation for and interest in arts education.
Beginning in 1988, discussions were undertaken with statewide and community leaders about the potential interest in establishing a nine-month residential school for the arts, similar in concept to the Governor's School for Science and Math. In 1989, the Governor's School Board of Directors formally voted to support the concept of an expanded program, and
In February, 1993, Governor Carroll Campbell issued an executive order to create the Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities Steering Committee to consider and assist in the development of a nine-month, residential program for arts and humanities instruction. The steering committee, chaired by Senator J. Verne Smith, met and received information regarding the possibility of establishing a nine-month residential program. In mid-April, 1993, H.4036 was introduced to create the Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities and its governing board. The bill was amended to establish a study committee to further study the feasibility of establishing the nine-month school. In the Fall of 1993, the Joint Legislative Committee on Cultural Affairs conducted a statewide survey of arts educators and parents to respond to the question of the feasibility of establishing such a school and to determine the concerns of teachers and parents regarding the concept of a nine-month school for the arts.
Discussions concerning the nine-month residential arts school culminated in
the passage of H.4036 (Act 447) in June, 1994. The Act established the
Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities and its governing board, effective
July 1, 1995. The fifteen member governing board is appointed by the Governor,
and is responsible for:
* exploring the renovation or building of appropriate facilities for the
school;
* establishing and approving the curriculum of study, admission criteria,
standards and procedures;
* assuring, to the greatest extent possible, that an equal number of
students are admitted from each of the six congressional districts;
* adopting policies and regulations necessary for the operation of the
school;
* appointing the executive director as the chief administrative officer for
the school; and
* establishing a foundation and maintaining an endowment fund for the
school.
Act 447 also created the Governor's School for the Arts Study Committee comprised of two members of the House of Representatives, two members of the Senate, one member appointed by the Governor, the State Superintendent of Education or her designee, and the chairman of the Commission on Higher Education or his designee. (See Chart 1 for
ISSUES
Act 447 charges the Study Committee with completing three tasks:
1) determine the desirability and feasibility of providing additional state
funding to establish a nine-month Governor's School for the Arts and
Humanities;
2) recommend the location for such a school; and
3) review the issue of access for students from all geographic locations
within the State and with limited economic means.
The Study Committee is required to report its findings to the General Assembly no later than April 1, 1995, at which time the Study Committee's work ends. The Study Committee first met on September, 13, 1994, and has met on six occasions since then. Over the past seven months, the Study Committee has carefully studied and discussed the issues surrounding its legislative charges, and offers the following recommendations to the General Assembly.
From the outset, the Study Committee was extremely concerned that the desirability and feasibility of additional state funding for a nine-month school for the arts and humanities hinged upon a commitment at the local level to secure private cash or in-kind contributions to support the school. In both the Request for Information and the Location Survey (discussed below), respondents were asked to describe the level of local public and/or private funding anticipated to support the project. Specifically, the Location Survey requested letters of commitment to support a local capital campaign, and a detailed capital and operating budget.
The Study Committee also recognized that, given the current budgetary issues
facing the General Assembly, the feasibility of additional state funding for the
school for Fiscal Year 1995-96 was unrealistic. While the Study Committee
strongly endorses the concept of a nine-month residential school for the arts
and humanities and believes the mission of the school should continue in a
forward momentum, state funding for the proposal is not likely in the absence of
a firm commitment by the selected location to raise funds from the private
sector to help defray the necessary capital expenditures for the school.
The Committee resolved to strongly and enthusiastically recommend to the General Assembly the establishment of a nine-month residential Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities. State funding for the necessary capital expenditures for the school would be based on the amount raised by the community in a statewide campaign for private funds (including local government contributions). The goal would be a ratio of two dollars of private funds for each one dollar of state funds. There would be an opportunity during the capital campaign to make some adjustments to the proposed site plans if necessary. At such time as the community has successfully completed its fundraising campaign, the General Assembly should provide the state match for the capital costs of the project.
Furthermore, the Committee recommends that once the capital campaign is completed, the State appropriate the necessary funds for the operation of the school. The financial requirements to support the school based upon the Committee's recommendation regarding the location of the school, are discussed in more detail in Issue #2.
To ensure an impartial recommendation for the location of the nine-month residential program, the Study Committee adopted a two-step process. The first step was the issuance of a "Request for Information" in November, 1994. This general questionnaire was designed to help the Committee determine the interest and existing capability of educational institutions and communities statewide to serve as the location for the school. The Request included a general description of the project, the proposed criteria for site selection, and the suggested facility requirements.
Approximately 500 Requests were mailed across the state to local chambers of commerce, mayors of municipalities with population over 1,000, state supported and private colleges and universities, school district superintendents, local arts councils and arts leaders, and chairmen of the county legislative delegations.
Responses to the Request for Information were due on January 5, 1995. Seven
responses to the Request indicating an interest in serving as the location for
the school were received from the City of Aiken, the City of Union, the
University of South Carolina at Spartanburg, the Unified Alliance for the S.C.
Governor's School of Greenville, the University of South Carolina, Winthrop
University, and Anderson College. (Copies of the Request for Information and
Responses may be obtained from the Office of Senator J. Verne Smith).