STATE OF EDUCATION FUNDING
South Carolina
Fair school funding systems ensure that districts, schools, and ultimately students receive significant additional funding according to their specific needs. Providing high-quality learning opportunities for students living in poverty, English learners, students with disabilities, and rural students requires additional resources.
According to The Education Trust’s State of Funding Equity, in South Carolina:
- The highest poverty districts receive $855 or 6.7% more state and local revenue than the lowest poverty districts.
- The districts serving the most students of color receive $1,278 or 9.9% more state and local revenue per student than the districts serving the fewest students of color.
- The districts serving the most English learners receive $925 or 6.9% less state and local revenue per student than the districts serving the fewest English learners.
For more information about how these data compare with other states or district specific information, see The Education Trust’s State of Funding Equity report.
Learn more about
how South Carolina
funds students
According to EdBuild, “South Carolina has a hybrid funding formula incorporating both student-based calculations and extensive program-based allocations. It assigns a cost to the education of a student with no special needs or services, called a base amount, and provides increased funding to educate specific categories of students. The categories of students considered in South Carolina’s funding policy are students in certain grade levels, English-language learners, students from low-income households, students with disabilities, students identified as gifted, and students enrolled in career and technical education (CTE) programs.”
The Education Law Center’s 2023 Making the Grade Report rated South Carolina’s school funding:
- C on per-pupil funding relative to the national average.
- C on the percentage difference in per-pupil funding in high-poverty districts relative to low-poverty districts.
- B on the PK-12 funding as a percentage of state GDP.
How fair is South
Carolina’s Funding?
Strong schools build strong communities, and that starts with fair and transparent funding. Our State Ratings Rubric shows how South Carolina is doing when it comes to making sure every student gets the resources they need to thrive. Using criteria grounded in research, best practices, and what we know works for students, we rate South Carolina across five key areas: whether the state funds students adequately, funds student needs equitably, funds districts appropriately, funds students transparently and effectively, and keeps public dollars in public schools.
To explore ratings across Southern states and learn more about the criteria we use, click here.
| Component | Description | Rating | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| FUND STUDENTS ADEQUATELY | |||
| Funding Adequacy | Per student funding is at or above the national average ($16,645). | Yellow | Per student funding was $297 less than the national average in the 2021-22 school year. |
| Yearly Increases | Base funding for all students increases every year to account for inflation. | Green | The per-student base amount increased by 5.15% for the 2025-26 school year, from $8,064 to $8,479. |
| Progressive Tax Policies | The state maintains healthy revenue sources for schools. | Yellow | No major reforms to property, income, or sales tax in 2025. |
| FUND STUDENT NEEDS EQUITABLY | |||
| Student-Based Formula | The funding formula is primarily student-based. | Yellow | Hybrid formula. |
| Students from Low-Income Backgrounds | The state provides additional funds for students from low-income backgrounds. | Yellow | 20% weight. |
| English Learners | The state provides additional funds for English Learners. | Yellow | 20% weight. |
| Students with Disabilities | The state provides additional funds for students with disabilities, based on their needs. | Green | Ten different weights based on the type of disability, ranging from 74% to 157%. |
| FUND DISTRICTS APPROPRIATELY | |||
| Cost Sharing | The state requires local governments to share the cost based on their ability to pay. | Yellow | Local governments contribute 30% on average, based on their property wealth. |
| Local Revenue Cap | The state limits wealthy districts from contributing excessively more than other districts. | Red | The state does not set a cap. |
| Rural Districts | Small districts and districts with few students per square mile ("sparse districts") receive additional funds. | Red | No additional funding |
| Concentrated Poverty | Districts with high concentrations of poverty receive additional funds. | Red | No additional funding |
| FUND STUDENTS TRANSPARENTLY & EFFECTIVELY | |||
| Formula Transparency | The funding formula is easy to understand and clearly explained. | Red | The formula is complicated, and the state education department's manual is not user-friendly. |
| Funding Data | The state shares detailed, timely, and user-friendly public data on districts’ funding. | Yellow | Data is timely and user-friendly but is only somewhat detailed. |
| District Spending Plans | The state requires districts to share public reports about how they invest funds to meet students' needs. | Yellow | The Education Funding Dashboard shows district spending, but not how specific investments related to students with greater needs. |
| Formula Review | The state requires a clear, stakeholder-led process to evaluate the formula and recommend improvements. | Yellow | A legislator-led review committee is required to meet, but has not published public recommendations since 2019. |
| FUND PUBLIC SCHOOLS EXCLUSIVELY | |||
| Vouchers | The state does not divert public funds to private schools through voucher programs, education savings accounts, or scholarship tax credits. | Red | The South Carolina Education Scholarship Trust Fund program provides vouchers with near-universal eligibility and no accountability requirements. |
Who’s Who
in South Carolina
Legislature
The South Carolina General Assembly is the legislative body of South Carolina. The bicameral body is composed of a House of Representatives with 124 members and a State Senate has 46 members. The Senate has a standing committee focused solely on Education and the House of Representatives has a standing committee on Education and Public Works. In 2024, the legislature will convene January 9, 2024 and adjourn no later than May 9, 2024.
State Superintendent of Education
The South Carolina State Superintendent of Education is an elected constitutional officer. The superintendent serves four-year terms. The current superintendent was elected in 2023.
State Board of Education
The South Carolina State Board of Education is composed of 17 members. One member per circuit is appointed by legislators from each of the state’s 16 judicial circuits. The remaining member is appointed by the governor. Members are appointed to four-year terms.
