A bill

to amend the South Carolina Code of Laws by adding Section 59-24-7 so as to PROVIDE PUBLIC SCHOOL PRINCIPALS SHALL TEACH AT LEAST ONE CLASS EACH SEMESTER, TO PROVIDE FOR THE ANNUAL APPOINTMENT OF PUBLIC SCHOOL PRINCIPALS BY THE FULL-TIME FACULTY MEMBERS OF THE SCHOOL, AND TO PROVIDE REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEDURES RELATED TO THE APPOINTMENT PROCESS; and by amending Section 59-24-10, relating to Assessment of leadership and management capabilities before AN APPOINTMENT AS PRINCIPAL, so as to MAKE CONFORMING CHANGES.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1.   Article 1, Chapter 24, Title 59 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

   Section 59-24-7.   (A)(1) The principal of each public school:

         (a) shall teach at least one class each semester so to ensure continuous engagement in the core function of public education; and

         (b) annually must be appointed to that position by a simple majority vote of the full-time faculty members of the school. The school district board of trustees and administrators may not hire or influence the appointment of a school principal, notwithstanding the provisions of Section 59-19-80 or another provision of law.

      (2) Each public school shall have an administrative committee that is responsible for managing the receipt and processing of applications for principal positions, informing the full-time faculty of the qualifications of each candidate, and conducting the faculty voting process.

      (3) A person seeking employment as a school principal must submit an application and resume to the administrative committee of the school, which may request additional relevant information and shall review and verify the credentials and other submitted information. The school district human resources office shall assist the committee with developing and implementing an application process, conducting the verification process, and complying with all related state and federal laws, and also shall provide other human resources-related support that the committee requests.

      (4) The committee shall submit a summary of the credentials and experience of each applicant to the full-time faculty members for consideration and also shall make this information available to the general public, including by posting the information on the Internet website of the school.

      (5) No sooner than thirty days and no later than ninety days after the applicant credentials and experience summaries are provided to the full-time faculty and general public, the committee shall call upon the faculty to vote by anonymous ballot on the applicants.

         (a) The applicant who receives a majority of the votes cast is appointed principal for the upcoming school year or, in the case of a vacancy during the school year, for the remainder of the school year.

         (b) If no applicant receives a majority of the votes cast, then a runoff vote must be conducted between the applicant who received the most votes and the applicant who received the next highest number of votes, and whichever of these applicants receives a majority of the votes cast in the runoff is appointed principal for the upcoming school year or, in the case of a vacancy during the school year, for the remainder of the school year.

   (B) The administrative committee may conduct quarterly performance assessment of the principal and provided feedback to the principal, and these performance assessments must be made available to the full-time faculty.

   (C) The administrative committee may propose a vote on disciplining or terminating the appointment of a principal by conducting a public hearing and vote by anonymous ballot of the full-time faculty, with a simple majority of the votes cast by the full-time faculty determining the outcome.

   (D) (1) Each administrative committee shall consist of:

         (a) two representatives from each grade level in the school, with each grade level selecting its representatives by anonymous ballot in a vote conducted by the full-time faculty members of that grade level; and

         (b) three at-large representatives from teachers in related or specialized areas, who shall select these representatives by anonymous ballot in a vote conducted by the full-time faculty members of that grade level.

      (2) The committee selections must be made during the three-day professional development period before the opening day for students each school year, and members shall serve for the duration of the school year. A vacancy must be filled in the manner of original selection for the remainder of the school year.

SECTION 2.   Section 59-24-10 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

   Section 59-24-10.   Beginning with the school year 1999-2000, before permanent appointment as a principal for an elementary school, secondary school, or career and technology center, a person must be assessed for instructional leadership and management capabilities by the Leadership Academy of the South Carolina Department of Education. A district The administrative committee of a school may appoint a person on an interim basis until the assessment is completed. A report of this assessment must be forwarded to the full-time faculty members of the school, district superintendent, and board of trustees. The provisions of this section do not apply to a person currently employed as principal on the effective date of this section or to a person hired as principal before the beginning of school year 1999-2000.

SECTION 3.   This act takes effect July 1, 2025.

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