Governor Sanford’s budget embraces beneficial educational initiatives
By: Vicki Simons

   Through his FY 2006-2007 Executive Budget, Governor Mark Sanford has made it clear that education is one of his top priorities. He wrote, “In keeping with its intended purpose, we should view our K-12 educational system in terms of its ability to prepare citizens for life and work.” His budgetary decisions are driven by the answer to the question: “[are we] … preparing all of our students to compete directly with individuals from every part of today’s knowledge-based economy.” And he believes that investing educational dollars must be done in such a way that “each student will be equipped with the skills necessary to lead a high-quality life in a competitive world.” For this reason, Governor Sanford has embraced numerous beneficial educational initiatives.
   Providing documentation of poor SAT scores, ACT scores and graduation rates as proof, our Governor states that “South Carolina’s education system needs to improve more rapidly.” Not only are our students lagging nationally, but also in a nation losing ground internationally. We applaud the fact that he stands firm in his conviction of praising improvements while refusing to be distracted “from the fact that our education system is only as strong as is its weakest school” and that “every child deserves a fair chance at a high-quality education.”
   Money isn’t the answer to all educational woes. “South Carolina ranks 22nd nationally in terms of its per capita spending on education,” Governor Sanford says, and total educational funding has grown 18% in the four-year period since FY 2000-01, “well above the two percent growth in school enrollment over the same period.” Even so, his budget shows a firm commitment to K-12 education. “Relative to other state obligations, K-12 educational spending represents the largest spending category.” A snapshot of past and projected education spending shows:
 - In FY 2004-2005, education comprised 35.5 percent of all General Funds expenditures.
 - In FY 2005-2006, educational expenditures increased to represent 36 percent of General Fund expenditures.
 - In FY 2006-2007, the Governor’s Purchase Plan recommends that “42 percent of general funds expenditures be directed at improving the educational performance of K-12 students.”
   Governor Sanford proposes “increasing recurring spending for K-12 education by nearly $120 million to keep our per pupil expenditures above the national average.” He states, “we believe tax dollars should buy results” and offers “several suggestions for receiving better value for those dollars and providing more flexibility at
the local level.” The level of education funding proposed for FY 2006-2007 “meets the state’s education funding requirements for K-12 education established under Proviso 72.1.”
 Four “Goals for Improving K-12 Student Performance” are listed in the Governor’s budget:
 - Increase the high school completion rate
 - Increase participation and achievement in rigorous courses
 - Reduce the achievement gap while improving the academic performance of all students
 - Improve the efficiency with which education dollars are spent
To accomplish these goals, he advocates:
 - priorities of in-classroom spending and higher teacher pay, with teachers being paid “a salary standard of $300 above the Southeastern average”
 - support for teachers who pursue and earn National Board Certification by offering them a monetary incentive to complete the process
The following are a few of Governor Sanford’s bold proposals to improve education in the next year:
 - funding a $63 million merit pay program for South Carolina teachers, to create a direct link between pay increases and student achievement and allow school districts to reward the many great teachers who are succeeding and excelling in the classroom
 - fully funding the Base Student Cost, increasing the BSC to $2,367 for FY 2006-07 which brings total funding per student in South Carolina to an average of $10,846
 - full funding for the Education and Economic Development Act with the hope of lowering the high school drop out rate
   One source of innovation in education listed in the budget is to expand parental choice, the underlying goal of which is to “give parents the flexibility to find the best learning environment for their child so that overall student achievement is improved.” By providing choice, the state’s ability to offer a higher-quality education product is improved. Governor Sanford advocates:
 - the creation of a Statewide Charter School District to make it easier to create charter schools [a separate article about which appears elsewhere in this issue]
 - giving parents greater control of their child’s success through initiatives such as Put Parents in Charge, citing success stories from Florida, Vermont, Maine, Canada, Chile and Sweden as examples
 - “Cultivating Quality Educators,” which is one of the factors within schools’ control
 - Giving administrators the flexibility to lead through SMART Funding, which would “provide school districts more flexibility in how they spend the dollars allocated to them” and “put more education spending decisions in the hands of the communities”
 - “Initiatives on Early Childhood Education,” by working to “increase the likelihood that a child starts school ready to learn.”
  Governor Sanford concludes his education budget by saying, “Our education proposals reflect a simple goal of providing options for students in South Carolina to get the best possible education they can. We accomplish this goal through a combination of funding education at the front lines and reforming the system for better results.”