For Parents

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

Published

8 months 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

$31,999 Raised in October – WORST MONTH YET!!!

Published

1 week ago

November 16, 2020

PALMETTOKIDSFIRST

OCTOBER FUNDRAISING – WORST YET – $31,999: Friends … October was the worst fundraising month yet for the (not so) Exceptional SC Board. Worse than even January 2020 … BEFORE they were even open / accepting donations.

October 2020 Fundraising: $31,999.00 = $1,032.23 / day

Below for your reference are the results from 2019. It does not take a rocket scientist to conclude this is going to be a disaster … AGAIN.

The (not so) Exceptional SC Board cost children $7.45 MILLION in 2019 …

… it now appears the (not so) Exceptional SC Board will cost children $10 MILLION +/- in 2020.

We call that … Board malpractice!!!

So why won’t they PUT THE KIDS FIRST?!?!?!?

So where is (not so) Exceptional SC: Well … the (not so) Exceptional SC Board sent a few email blasts to parents and school officials back in September … after Chad Connelly was fired … pushing for the legislature to INCREASE THEIR FEES … clearly reflecting their priorities (#FollowTheMoney!!!),
… so we know the (not so) Exceptional SC Board knows “how” to send email updates.
So why then has the (not so) Exceptional SC Board gone silent …. again???

DON’T LET THE (NOT SO) EXCEPTIONAL SC BOARD OFF THE HOOK!!! CALL THEM!!!

They asked for (or offered to do) the JOB. So make them!!!

HOW CAN YOU HELP?:

PLEASE – Contact the EXCEPTIONAL SC BOARD:

Ask them if they will support INDEPENDENT NON-PROFITS
Ask them if they will meet to discuss a solution.
Tell them they are killing the program.
Let them know what this is doing to your family.
It is not hard … but the time for them to speak-up is YESTERDAY!!!

Betsy Fanning
Head of School, Trident Academy
bfanning@tridentacademy.com
843-884-7046 x111 (school)

Michael Acquilano, JD
Charleston Diocese
MAcquilano@catholic-doc.org
843-261-0535 (office)
843-709-2717 (cell)

Edward Earwood
Executive Director
SC Association of Christian Schools
eearwood@christianeducation.org
803-798-7558 (office)
843-513-5010 (cell)

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

For Parents

Senator Vince Sheheen – GONE!!!

Published

2 weeks ago

November 8, 2020

PALMETTOKIDSFIRST

We have talked with A LOT of parents and friends in Senator Vincent Sheheen’s district (D – Camden) over the past few years … exposing his opposition to the K-12 tax credit program … and NOBODY was happy about what he has been doing to our kids … what he was doing to YOUR KIDS!!!

As you all know … Senator Sheheen lead the charge to KILL THIS PROGRAM!!!

Senator Sheheen is also the one who called Governor Nikki Halley a “whore” back in 2014 … but that is a different story about Senator Sheheen … just indicative of “who” he really is.

As for our program … as recently as September 23rd, 2020 … during the middle of a pandemic … Senator Sheheen KILLED the SC House Amendment to help with a few minor tweaks. Nothing big … just minor tweaks. What arrogance!!!

Well … it cost him re-election … and now, one of the MOST POWERFUL legislators in the SC Senate is GONE!!!

Will someone else step up to be “the voice” of the opposition to kill fixing this program? Maybe … but we think they would be crazy to do so … so we shall have to wait and see. We will however be ready!!!

THANK YOU PENRY GUSTAFSON … our “new” SC State Senator from Camden. Penry is a good friend and we fully expect will be a HUGE supporter of this program and YOUR KIDS!!!

For Parents

Governor Asks SC Supreme Court to Reconsider

Published

4 weeks ago

October 28, 2020

PALMETTOKIDSFIRST

Well, for now … they are going to keep trying to FORCE the “failed” Government Run Education Savings Account (ESA or GRESA) process.

Don’t let the article title fool you. Yes, it is the US Attorney for the State of South Carolina that has filed the brief … but “who” is the US Attorney for SC?

Peter McCoy is our US Attorney.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-sc/meet-us-attorney

Peter is good guy for all we know … we have no problems with him … but he was most recently a member of the SC House of Representatives.

And for some reason … HE DID NOT sponsor H 3202 / S 131 (the tax credit scholarship bill) … we did not push hard … and we guess due to the LIES spread by the “paid” advocates …

… but he did sponsor the “paid” advocates ESA / GRESA bill (H 3681 / S 523 / S 556) that has been a total disaster …

… and then Representative Peter McCoy WITHDREW HIS SPONSORSHIP when he realized what a political disaster this ESA / GRESA bill was.

For the full bill and history click *HERE*

All those representatives and more got off that ESA / GRESA bill right after they had two hearings on it in the HOUSE. We were there … it was a total mess.

So … don’t be fooled by the ongoing efforts to push through the ESA / GRESA … we don’t think it is going anywhere.

Perhaps we need to REMIND the Governor’s Office that we have a 100% LEGAL, bulletproof, and PROVEN solution …

K-12 TAX CREDIT SCHOLARSHIPS run by IDEPENDENT NON-PROFITS!