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Legislative update: bills would expand scholarships, livestreaming and modify certification, district told
Summary
Miss Lake briefed the Newberry County Board on several state bills that could affect district policy and funding, including a scholarship expansion, new livestreaming requirements, certification changes and security staffing rules.
Miss Lake provided the board with a legislative update April 19, 2025, highlighting several bills under consideration at the state level and noting she can provide a complete list by email.
Miss Lake summarized key provisions she described in Senate Bill 60 as a revised scholarship program that, if it survives legal challenges, would provide scholarships of $7,500 per student and cap initial eligibility at 10,000 students for the 2025‑26 school year for households earning up to 300% of the federal poverty level (approximately $96,450 for a family of four). She said the 2026‑27 school year expansion would raise the cap to 15,000 students and eligibility to 500% of the federal poverty level (approximately $161,000 for a family of four). Miss Lake prefaced the summary by noting the program’s emergence after a state supreme court ruling struck down an earlier version.
Miss Lake also said a separate bill would require school districts to livestream and report all school board meetings, including committee and work sessions, and to post recordings online within two days; the State Board of Education would be required to develop a model livestreaming policy for local adoption.
She described Senate Bill 78 as permitting credit toward teaching certification for prior non‑teaching occupational experience, and Senate Bill 269 as allowing public school districts and charter schools to authorize and employ licensed and regulated security personnel in addition to traditional school officers under certain conditions. Miss Lake summarized a House bill (identified in the meeting as House Bill 33196) that would change teacher certification and employment procedures, create a lifetime certificate for retired educators, adjust teacher contract and assignment processes, increase in‑district professional development days from three to four, and require districts to implement sick‑leave banks for all school staff.
Miss Lake offered to email a full list of passed bills to any board member who requested it and noted the Board of Economic Advisors was scheduled to meet the next morning to update general fund revenue projections that could affect budget planning.
