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TO AMEND SECTION 59-19-350, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SCHOOLS OF CHOICE EXEMPT FROM CERTAIN STATUTES AND REGULATIONS, SO AS TO REDESIGNATE THESE SCHOOLS AS BEING SCHOOLS OF INNOVATION, TO CLARIFY THAT PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS MAY ESTABLISH MULTIPLE SCHOOLS OF INNOVATION, AND TO PROVIDE THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION SHALL PROMULGATE CERTAIN REGULATIONS CONCERNING EXEMPTIONS THAT SCHOOLS OF INNOVATION RECEIVE FROM CERTAIN STATUTES AND REGULATIONS.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. Section 59-19-350(A) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"(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 a school of choice multiple schools of innovation within the district that is are exempt from state statutes which govern and regulations applicable to other schools in the district and regulations promulgated by the State Board of Education.
(2) Before granting an exemption to a district, the State Board shall promulgate regulations specifying:
(a) the grounds for which an exemption must be granted;
(b) the length of an exemption, which may not exceed three years; and
(c) performance measures that districts shall employ to demonstrate the necessity of the exemptions and the potential successes that a grant of the exemptions is expected to achieve.
(3) To achieve the status of exemption from specific statutes and regulations, the local board of trustees, at a public meeting, shall identify specific statutes and regulations which will be considered for exemption. The exemption may be granted by the governing board of the district only if there is a two-thirds affirmative vote of the board for each exemption and the proposed exemption is approved by the State Board of Education."
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
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