The bill H. 3862 aims to amend Section 59-40-50 of the South Carolina Code of Laws, which pertains to charter school admissions preferences. The proposed changes include revising the criteria for admissions preferences and introducing provisions for students with multiple enrollment preferences. Specifically, the bill stipulates that charter schools must not limit or deny admission based on individual or group characteristics, except for single-gender charter schools. It also mandates that charter schools give preference to students who were enrolled the previous year and allows for priority enrollment for siblings of current students, children of employees, and dependents of active-duty military personnel, with specific caps on the percentage of total enrollment for these categories.

Additionally, the bill clarifies that students eligible for multiple enrollment preferences can only be enrolled based on one preference at the school's discretion. If a student's preferred enrollment is denied due to exceeding the allowed number of preferences, they must be allowed to participate in the school's enrollment lottery. The bill also provides for mission-aligned preferences for educationally disadvantaged students in Alternative Education Campuses and allows charter schools located on federal military installations to prioritize dependents of military personnel, with a cap of fifty percent of total enrollment for this category. The act will take effect upon approval by the Governor.

Statutes affected:
01/30/2025: 59-40-50
02/06/2025: 59-40-50
02/13/2025: 59-40-50
Latest Version: 59-40-50