Money Following the Child: An Important First Step in South Carolina

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by WILL FOLKS

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The chairman of the South Carolina Senate’s education committee is advancing legislation that would allow state tax dollars to finally start following the individual child – at least insofar as public and charter schools are concerned.

While not rising to the level of the comprehensive funding reform our media outlet has consistently sought, the bill nonetheless represents a solid first step toward fundamentally recalibrating the Palmetto State’s antiquated, chronically ineffective approach to education funding.

It would also be a desperately needed shot in the arm for South Carolina’s charter school system – which saw funding for students at its virtual schools slashed by House education leaders last legislative session.

Sponsored by state senator Greg Hembree, a Republican from North Myrtle Beach, S.C., the legislation (S. 774) would require the S.C. Department of Education (SCDE) to reduce state aid to classrooms “equal to the district’s local revenue per pupil” for every student attending a charter school authorized by the S.C. Public Charter School District (SCPCSD) or an institute of higher learning.

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This funding would, in turn, be credited to SCPCSD or the higher education authorizer in the same “equal installments.”

This proposed funding equalization would not involve revenues raised by local bond referendums.

Supporters of Hembree’s legislation say it would usher in a true market-based system, and would impact between 70,000 to 80,000 children statewide. It is expected to draw a ferocious challenge from the Palmetto State’s results-challenged traditional government-run schools.

Hembree’s bill was assigned to his committee on January 13, 2026. Given his status as chairman, it’s likely the legislation will receive a hearing at the subcommittee level soon – and could conceivably advance to a vote on the floor of the S.C. Senate later this legislative session.

While Senate education leaders are pushing to have education funding follow the child, House leaders have taken a dramatically different tack. Just last session, in fact, House education chairwoman Shannon Erickson was the driving force behind a budget amendment that stripped millions of dollars from charter schools – or at least millions of dollars from one specific charter school authorizer.

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The Erickson-backed amendment specifically targeted the Charter Institute at Erskine, a system she has been curiously hostile toward for years. As FITSNews previously reported, Erickson recently requested an audit of Erskine by the S.C. Legislative Audit Commission (SCLAC).

That inquiry – which cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars – ultimately cleared the Institute of allegations of conflict of interest raised by Erickson.

As we noted in our coverage, given its status as a nonprofit linked to a private institution of higher learning we’re not sure Erskine was even subject to a legislative audit – irrespective of what may have motivated Erickson to call for it in the first place.

But its leaders submitted to it – and were ultimately cleared of the false allegations leveled against them.

Established in 2017, Erskine currently sponsors 28 charter schools across the Palmetto State – serving an estimated 31,000 students. It is projected to add at least eight new schools in the coming academic year – while existing schools are projected to add multiple grade levels. That growth is expected to boost its total student population near 40,000.

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Happy National School Choice Week! Today, our Charter School Student Ambassadors joined families and educators from across the state at the National School Choice Week Rally at the Statehouse. Two of our ambassadors, Lilly and Timothy, spoke on the Statehouse steps to share their… pic.twitter.com/JgAAu3h5oz

— Charter Institute at Erskine (@ErskineCharters) January 28, 2026

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Led by superintendent and chief executive officer Cameron Runyan and chief operating officer Vamshi Rudrapati, Erskine has drawn praise for its innovative approaches to elevating academic achievement. This includes recent $1.7 million appropriation to improve educational opportunities and outcomes for children in the Interstate 95 corridor – also known as the “Corridor of Shame.”

Erskine has a high percentage of virtual students – approximately 50% of its total student population. SCPCSD’s virtual student population is approximately 9% of its total – making the recent budget amendment particularly punitive to its students.

In fact, thanks to the Erickson-backed amendment, virtual charter schools in Erskine’s system lost an average of $338 per child – which equates to $4.8 million in lost funding for the 2025-2026 academic calendar, per state data.

FITSNews has long supported the concept of funding following the child with respect to taxpayer education subsidies. Accordingly, we support Hembree’s bill – although we hope senators supportive of universal school choice expand it to include private schools, parochial schools, homeschooling coops and individual parents who homeschool, among other options.

Count on FITSNews to continue tracking the ongoing education funding debate at the S.C. State House – including what appears to be two diametrically opposed legislative tracks related to charter school funding.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…

Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.

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