South Carolina’s regular legislative session has concluded. Lawmakers passed several significant bills affecting K–12 education, while others will be in play upon their return next year. Here are a few items school board members should know about.
Mandatory livestreaming of school board meetings will soon be law, pending Gov. McMaster’s signature. At the final hour, the SC House and Senate unanimously agreed to a measure that says all meetings subject to FOIA—capturing regular meetings, committee meetings, and even work sessions—must be broadcast online and subsequently posted on district websites.
The State Board of Education has directed craft a model policy that can be adopted in districts. The bill’s requirements go into effect Jan. 1, 2026. CALN will provide updates and assist board members with questions as the model policy is developed.
Earlier this week, Gov. McMaster signed two major pieces of legislation: Education Scholarship Trust Fund and the Educator Assistance Acts.
The former will provide flexible scholarships to up to 10,000 low-income families for K-12 expenses that include private school tuition, textbooks, computer hardware, and approved tutoring services, starting in the 2025-26 school year. The eligibility cap will rise to 15,000 in subsequent years (and could be increased further with legislative approval).
The latter makes key changes long requested by teachers, including: 1) a minimum of two planning days in preparation for the school year, 2) more notice before being assigned to another school or subject, and 3) a more streamlined teacher certification process.
As is common practice, lawmakers will go into session “overtime” (special session) to finish the new state budget. Among other items, the appropriations bill sets minimum teacher pay, which the Senate has proposed raising to $48,500 (similar to the House initial proposal in March).
Finally, legislation to prohibit grading floors—introduced in April—will remain up for consideration in 2026, as South Carolina operates on a two-year legislative cycle. In the meantime, CALN is offering complimentary policy reviews for school districts. You can read more below!
To encourage academic excellence, CALN is offering complementary policy reviews to help board members identify whether grading floors are being used in their districts. This service includes a review of your district policy manual and recommendations, as requested, for alternative strategies to support struggling students.
To request a review, please email info@schoolboardleader.com.