South Carolina Supreme Court to decide if new private school voucher program is legal

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The South Carolina Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday on whether a law passed last year allowing parents to spend taxpayer money on private schools violates part of the he state constitution banning direct aid to anything other than public schools.

But even as the justices ponder the case, lawmakers in the House are looking to expand the program beyond the law’s provision for vouchers of up to $6,000 for up to 15,000 students a year.

The case centers on the part of the South Carolina’s constitution that says “no money shall be paid from public funds nor shall the credit of the State or any of its political subdivisions be used for the direct benefit of any religious or other private educational institution.”

Lawyers who think the program is illegal said giving the private schools public money is a direct benefit even if the program allows students to pay fees or transportation to attend a public school outside of their district.

“It’s all in a trust fund – it’s all in a state controlled trust fund,” attorney Ramya Ravindran told the justices.

But supporters of the new law said the trust fund is key. The money goes to parents, who get to make a decision on where to spend it instead of state government directly paying the private schools themselves.

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