Goodbye Minimally Adequate: Support the Constitutional Amendment for a High Quality Education in South Carolina

September 12, 2008

Whereas, the State of South Carolina has for the last three decades legislatively mandated the ongoing and active existence of School Improvement Councils in each of our state’s K-12 public schools; and

Whereas, it is the mission of the South Carolina School Improvement Council (SC-SIC) and its Board of Trustees “to promote and support civic engagement for quality public education in South Carolina;” and

Whereas, the SC-SIC Board of Trustees believes that it is a fundamental responsibility of the South Carolina General Assembly to provide for the maintenance and support of a system of free public schools to prepare our state’s children for a future of promise; and

Whereas, the SC-SIC Board of Trustees also believes that it is imperative that such a system of free public schools must foster a variety of superior learning programs so that each of our children is effectively afforded the opportunity to achieve in a rapidly changing world; and

Whereas, the SC-SIC Board of Trustees further believes that the words “minimally adequate” should not be deemed as acceptable to either describe or define our state’scommitment to public education, to public education equity or to public education funding. 

Therefore, be it hereby resolved that the SC-SIC Board of Trustees supports an amendment of Section 3, Article XI of the Constitution of South Carolina to read: 

"The General Assembly shall provide for the maintenance and support of asystem of free public schools open to all children
in the State and shall establish,organize, and support such other public institutions of learning, as may
bedesirable that will provide a high quality education, allowing all students toreach their highest potential." 

Approved this 12th day of September, 2008, by the South Carolina School Improvement Council Board of Trustees, assembled at Columbia, South Carolina, and in testament thereof the signatures of the Board’s Chair and Vice Chair are hereto affixed.

Jeff Nicholson, Chair, SC-SIC Board of Trustees         Carlos Primus, Vice Chair, SC-SIC Board of Trustees

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