A bill

to amend the South Carolina Code of Laws by adding Section 59-5-66 so as to require the board of education to establish a method to track parental involvement with a student's education who is enrolled in public school, and to provide for certain additional requirements and reports related to parental involvement and a student's education.

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

SECTION 1.   Chapter 5, Title 59 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

   Section 59-5-66.   (A) The Board of Education must establish criteria to track parental involvement with a student's education who is enrolled in public school.

   (B) For purposes of this section:

      (1) "Parent" means the biological father or the biological mother of a student who is enrolled in a public school and in a class for kindergarten through twelfth grade.

      (2) "Parental involvement" means the parent's time, treasure and talent as it relates to his or her child's performance, including education and behavior, as a student enrolled in public school.

      (3) "Public school" means a school operated by publicly elected or appointed school officials in which the program and activities are under the control of these officials, is supported by public funds, and offers classes for one or more grades from kindergarten through twelfth grade.

      (4) "Student" means someone enrolled in a public school and in a class for kindergarten through twelfth grade.

   (C)(1) The Board of Education must create a form to be utilized by all public school teachers to track parental involvement.

      (2) The parental involvement form must be posted on the Board of Education's website, together with the following statement: "The South Carolina General Assembly believes parents receive an expensive subsidy from federal, state, and local governments for each child each school year. Parents have a moral responsibility to be involved to the extent he or she can, understanding each parent has difficulties that may exclude him or her from contributing. Children living in homes without their biological mother and/or father are exempt from reporting anything more than the family exists."

   (D) A public school teacher must provide the form described in subsection (C)(1) to each student's parent and receive the completed form from the parent. Upon receipt of the completed form, the teacher must provide the responses to the school. At the end of each school year, the school must compile the responses received in a manner so that individual parents and students cannot be identified and provide this information in a report to the school district. Each school district must compile the information from the individual schools' reports and provide a composite report to the Board of Education.

   (E)(1) The Board of Education must provide a comprehensive report to the General Assembly regarding information received from the school districts pursuant to subsection (D) no later than July first each year. This report must not contain information that could identify individual parents or students.

      (2) The Board of Education must provide information to each parent regarding the latest total cost per student to educate in South Carolina, along with an explanation of the sources of funding for that education by the end of the school year.

SECTION 2.   This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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