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Senate subcommittee favorably reports bill allowing charter schools to prefer military dependents
Summary
A Senate education subcommittee voted to send H.3862 to the full committee after testimony from charter operators and military families supporting an option that would let public charter schools offer enrollment preference to dependents of active-duty military residing or stationed in South Carolina.
A Senate Education Subcommittee voted to favorably report H.3862 after hearing testimony from charter school leaders and a military spouse who said the measure would give service families a better chance to enroll in preferred charter schools.
The bill, described to the subcommittee as H.3862, would allow public charter schools in South Carolina to adopt an enrollment preference for dependents of active-duty military who reside or are stationed in the state. "This legislation . . . adds a military enrollment preference option for public charter schools in South Carolina to have if they so choose to desire," JW Ragley said in testimony. Ragley identified himself as a representative of SC Learns, the nonprofit that operates two statewide virtual charter schools.
Why it matters: Supporters told the subcommittee that military-connected children face particular timing and housing constraints that make it hard to participate in charter-school lotteries that typically run early in the calendar year. "Stability and peace of mind. These are two elements that I know to be a seasoned military spouse to enhance a soldier's overall mission readiness," Melissa Clampett, who identified herself as a military spouse and parent of two military children, told the panel.
Witnesses provided data and examples. Dr. Trevor Ivy, founder and executive director of Liberty STEAM Charter School in Sumter County, said his elementary charter serves 731 students across five grade levels and currently counts 76 military-connected scholars — about 10 percent of the school's enrollment. Ivy said demand is high: the school's most recent lottery returned "three applications for every single seat that was available." JW Ragley said his organization operates Cyber Academy of South Carolina (about 3,000 students, K–12) and Heron Virtual Academy (about 1,000 students, grades 6–12) and reported roughly 105 military-connected students across those schools, which Ragley said is about 2.5 percent of their combined enrollment.
Committee members pressed witnesses on how enrollment limits and wait lists would interact with a new military preference. Ivy said charter contracts set the maximum seats per grade (his charter contract currently lists roughly 50 students per grade) and that "it is possible" a school could run a preference-only lottery if verified preferences exceed available seats. Ragley said verification of preference occurs before the lottery and that preferences are handled on a school-by-school basis under each school's enrollment policy.
The subcommittee took no amendments and moved the bill forward by voice vote. The chair asked for a motion "for a favorable report," a senator moved and another seconded, and the transcript records "Aye" and "There is none" in response to calls for opposition. The committee clerk announced that the bill "is favorably reported to the full committee." The subcommittee did not specify any vote tally by name; the record shows a voice vote with no opposition noted.
Background and limits: Testimony referenced existing state law that already allows some enrollment preferences under the South Carolina Public Charter School Act, such as returning students, siblings, and children of staff or board members. Dr. Ivy noted a separate statutory provision allows a charter located on a federal military installation (he named Palmetto Scholars Academy as the only example) to give preference to on-base military children up to 50 percent of enrollment; proponents said H.3862 would extend an optional preference to charters located off-base but near military communities. Witnesses and senators emphasized that adoption of the preference would be optional for each charter school and that schools would need to verify military status before the lottery.
Next steps: With a favorable report from the subcommittee, H.3862 will go to the full Senate Education Committee. Subcommittee members said they expected floor consideration and possible additional amendments later in the legislative process.
