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 give preference to students who were enrolled the previous year and allows for priority enrollment for siblings of currently enrolled students, children of charter school employees, and dependents of active-duty military members, with specific limits 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 charter 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 includes provisions for charter schools designated as Alternative Education Campuses to give mission-aligned preference to educationally disadvantaged students and allows charter schools located on federal military installations to prioritize dependents of military personnel, with specific enrollment caps. 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
03/26/2025: 59-40-50
04/29/2025: 59-40-50
Latest Version: 59-40-50