Educators urge amendments to House Bill 5483; propose 'student success centers' pilot

Representatives of the South Carolina Education Association told the joint committee that House Bill 5483, which addresses student removal and discipline, needs more student and educator supports and clearer implementation steps.

"The bill is a little punitive in nature," Mary Rita Watson, statewide member engagement coordinator for the association, told lawmakers. Watson and Barbie Ross, a teacher at the Charleston County Juvenile Detention Center, said teachers support safer classrooms but need systems that exhaust school supports before removing students.

Watson described a proposed school-based approach — an MTSS-style behavior committee with parents and educators, post-removal support plans, and an appeals process so teachers can request more administrative support. "There are grounds for student removal that we already know about," Watson said, but she argued post-removal protocols and review processes are often unclear in practice.

Ross described a prior Dorchester District 2 behavior-classroom model she ran and outlined a proposal for a K–5 "student success center" with mental-health supports, structured intake and multi-staff teams. Ross said the district's estimate for one full program year (excluding transportation) was about $600,000. Committee members raised concerns about transportation time, parent buy-in, risks that the center could become a "dumping ground" without enforcement of procedures, and whether placing counselors across many schools might be more effective.

The presenters urged pilots and careful design rather than immediate statewide mandates. They left draft language and slides for committee review. No vote or formal committee action occurred during this meeting.

What happens next: Presenters asked members to review written materials and work with the association and districts on pilot design and cost estimates before any bill action.