For Parents

Have You Received a 2nd Semester Scholarship? The Poll Results Are In!

Published

1 week ago

March 23, 2020

According to our poll 65.4% of parents / families have not received a 2nd semester scholarship check, 34.6% “have not heard” and we did not have one person/family that confirmed receiving a 2nd semester scholarship check … we realize that our emails do not reach every family participating in the program but it is hard to believe that (not so) Exceptional SC would have $2 MILLION in the bank, sent money to schools and not one person could confirm they received a grant …

Why did we ask for the parents to participate in the poll?

Just recently we called out #FireChadConnelly‘s claim to the press that (not so) Exceptional SC had raised $2 million this year (read the article HERE). We challenged them to prove it …. we sent a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Request to the SC Department of Revenue to see if they would validate it (or at least to put DOR on legal notice as what we believe to be another lie) … and we challenged the reporter to get PROOF from DOR or Exceptional SC that the $2 million had actually been raised.

No one has been able to get / provide any proof as of yet … no surprise … probably because there is none … but we will keep pushing.

The sad part is we don’t think Connelly and the (not so) Exceptional SC Board realized, as we do, that Parents & School Officials would immediately put it together that if they had $2 million in the bank … Parents could expect scholarships SOON!!! We warned parents not to count on it until we get proof.

Well, we did not get any proof … no one ever seems to from this ZERO transparency organization … but interestingly enough Exceptional SC sent out a special update a few days later on March 18th with a statement saying “Just this week, we issued our initial second semester checks to schools and will continue to do so as funds are available.”

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN???

Has $2 MILLION BEEN SENT OUT??? If so, why not say that??? Are there no more funds available today??? Why can’t we get ANY specifics from Board Chairman Tom Persons who publicly promised transparency when the government appointed officials and SC Department of Revenue first took over???

Anyhow, you know our opinion, but if $2 MILLION was sent out … we would expect LOTS of parents to have received checks.

Stay tuned …

For Parents

(not so) Exceptional SC Board Approves 10% Checks

Published

1 day ago

March 30, 2020

PALMETTOKIDSFIRST

At this point we do not know what or who to trust … The week before last we were told that 2nd semester scholarships were sent out to schools … last week we were told that just last Tuesday “the Board Of Directors Voted Unanimously to disburse 10% of the spring checks to each school…”, so which one is it? Were the checks sent out two weeks ago? Or approved last week?

Oh … and this … if you do some simple math, in order to cover all current scholarship recipients at ONLY 10% of each spring semester grant, you would still around $600,000 … So … how are they going to “dispense the money evenly across the schools” with less than $350,000 available??? Or were they able to raise additional $300,000 during the COVID-19 shutdown???

I personally reached out for comment to the head of the South Carolina Independent School Association (SCISA) … the organization representing the vast majority of schools in the program …. and also a board member for Exceptional SC. I asked “HOW” Exceptional SC was going to be able to FUND the 10% scholarships (approximately $550,000 +/-) if it does not appear they have CASH IN THE BANK??? I did say that I will be reporting to all our parents that I did not believe that there was enough funds for everyone to get already very limited check … No response …

Dr. Jordan hired Chad … he represents most of the schools in the program … why no response? This is not complicated. Do you have the money … or are you “HOPING” to raise it in time??? Are we asking something unfair??? Here is Dr. Jordan’s contact info – I think you deserve to know!

Dr. Spencer Jordan
Executive Director
SC Association of Independent Schools
https://www.scisa.org/
803-535-4820 (office)
administration@scisa.org
sjordan@scisa.org

Be warned! Our guess is it will take a WHIIIILE to issue those 10% spring scholarship checks … although one thing (not so) Exceptional SC probably forgot about … once approved (on MARCH 24, 2020) … they HAVE TO within 30 DAYS issue the checks. That’s the law!!!

We will be watching … so stay tuned!!!

For Parents

#FireChadConnelly Lies Confirmed: Only $347,382.41 Raised

Published

2 days ago

March 30, 2020

PALMETTOKIDSFIRST

Here it is … another lie by #FireChadConnelly. When will it stop??? When will (not so) Exceptional SC’s Board act? When will they take our families with children with special needs seriously and do their job?!?

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to the Department of Revenue when we read that Chad Connelly told The State Newspaper that Exceptional SC had raised “about $2 million”. We did not believe it!!!

SC DOR released the fundraising as of February 29th, 2020 … and it is HORRIBLE!!! $347,382.41.

Remember, Georgia raised $81.8 MILLION in the first 7 days of 2020 … and #FireChadConnelly can only raise $347K in TWO MONTHS!!!

To read the “Fake News” article click HERE or picture above.

But, you are probably asking … didn’t The State Newspaper “fact check” the $2 MILLION fundraising number #FireChadConnelly told them???

Well … that is a big NO!!!

We have asked The State Newspaper to fact check it … they were too busy with Covid … so we have now sent them the info from the SC Department of Revenue … and they are still too busy.

Still don’t believe in #FakeNews??? They know the truth … will they follow-up??? Stay tuned …

Also we are told the three (3) Exceptional SC lawyers were contacted for comment. Remember, Chad Connelly told THE COURT in a SWORN AFFIDAVIT dated March 4th, 2020, that Exceptional SC had raised $1,045,000 in the prior 21 days (2/11/2020 – 3/3/2020) … and that they were raising approximately $50,000 per day!!!

No response from the lawyers either. It will be interesting what the Judge says when he is told #FireChadConnelly lied to him in a SWORN AFFIDAVIT.

ANY PARENT / LAWYERS OUT THERE … WHAT DO YOU THINK THE COURT WILL SAY ABOUT THIS??? LET US KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS!!! info@palmettokidsFIRST.org, 843-501-1842 (office), 843-901-8035 (Olga’s cell).

For Parents

“Compulsive Liar” Chad Connelly … Caught On A Lie AGAIN???

Published

6 days ago

March 26, 2020

PALMETTOKIDSFIRST

(To read the full article click HERE)

Two weeks ago Chad Connelly claimed in a sworn affidavit that he had raised $1.045 MILLION in donations (over prior 21 days) … beginning of last week #FireChadConnelly told reporters it was $2 MILLION … and then followed up with email to parents stating that “Just this week, we issued our initial second semester CHECKS to schools and will continue to do so as funds are available.”

In our email last Saturday we pointed out that we believed it was another lie … that there was no indication (not so) Exceptional SC raised anything close to $2 MILLION … thus we did not believe that “second semester checks were issued”. Heck, we took an extra step asking parents to let us know whether they received the 2nd semester funding. The POLL RESULTS were pretty predictable: 65.4% of parents / families have not received a 2nd semester scholarship check, 34.6% “have not heard” and we did not have one person/family that confirmed receiving a 2nd semester scholarship check.

Yesterday, March 25, 2020, #FireChadConnelly & Board Chairman Tom Persons sent another email stating: “(…) Our Board Of Directors Voted Unanimously to disburse 10% of the spring checks to each school…”

Yes … you are reading it right – 10% of the spring checks!!! So let’s say, you have been getting a $10,000 scholarship for the last 5 years … this current school year, you received first semester scholarship check for $5,00 in the fall … you will be receiving $500 for the second semester this spring!!!

Well, what happened to the checks that “were sent to schools last week”??? Were they only $500 checks …? Or as we pointed out, there were NO checks sent out …? What happened to the $2 MILLION that (not so) Exceptional SC supposedly raised since January??? Or as we pointed out there was no $2 MILLION raised??? If Exceptional SC in fact raised $2 MILLION that should cover 33% of everyone’s spring semester check … not 10% … we believe that the $2 MILLION was ANOTHER lie … and there wasn’t more than few hundred thousands raised so far …

Our hearts are simply heartbroken for you – our families and schools!!! During these extraordinarily difficult times we would want for your to have one less thing to worry about … One less uncertainty to deal with … yet another burden of your school tuition was just added to your plate. Just so you know, we are working 24/7 here to help you! We are working with legislators to fix this mess and still get you help for this current school year … and DEFINITELY moving forward. It is critically important that you let your legislators know (click HERE to look them up) about this complete failure coming with 10% announcement. This is simply UNACCEPTABLE and not how these programs work!!!