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Support Palmetto Kids FIRST

ADVOCACY

Advocacy:  Tax Credit Scholarships Work in South Carolina

2016 General Assembly Contact List  (2018 list coming soon)

2015 Senate Finance Committee   (2018 list coming soon)

FIND YOUR STATE LEGISLATORS (the ones in Columbia, not Washington D.C.) Click HERE:

SC taxpayers have shown their support ($22 million donated in 17 months), independent schools are participating (over 100 schools have signed up), kids are getting scholarships (we estimate 4,000 scholarships)… and even our public school friends support the program (it helps families and the economics work too).  It is working, BUT WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!

2018 AGENDA:

  1. STEP ONE – RETURN THE PROGRAM TO THE INDEPENDENT NONPROFITS like every other educational tax credit program in the United States!!!  Who ever thought giving this to DOR was a good idea??? 239,000 children all across America use educational tax credit scholarships to aid their independent school education … only SC’s program is run by a government agency. SC is right and everybody else is wrong? Not based on the results to date.
  2. STEP TWO – FULL FUNDING for ALL eligible children at ALL schools … that is $25 MILLION!!!  We advocate for ALL eligible children.  Raise the scholarship tax credit cap (starting with $25 million) so ALL eligible children in SC can receive a FULL scholarship. This is not about money when it comes to the State of South Carolina budget … don’t let anyone ever tell you that is the problem because $25 MILLION is just a drop in the bucket … and we believe it is a whole lot cheaper for the State of South Carolina to fully fund our program than to educate our kids with “special needs” in the public schools. ALL eligible kids, ALL schools … no compromise here … it really is the only fair path.
  3. STEP THREE – PERMANENT LAW … this year by year renewing budget proviso mess / fight is horrible for parents, schools, and donors. We need consistency, not an annual “fight” for our survival. Families deserve better. No one can plan appropriately … do they know we are talking about kids education here? This is not a political game, this is our kids education and future!!!

HOW & WHAT WE NEED TODAY:  Legislators need to stop working with lobbyist (that either support or oppose this program) and MEET & WORK WITH Palmetto Kids FIRST  (as your advocate) to make the program better.

Ways to Get Involved (for Parents, Family Members, Students, Donors, School Leaders, Friends / Supporters, and even our Public School Supporters)

  • Call, write, and meet with your 2 state legislators in Columbia (and any that you may know personally).  Tell them you support Palmetto Kids FIRST and this special program.  Tell them your personal story.  A simple “thank you” goes a long way.

Got ideas?  Email us at info@palmettokidsFIRST.org and get involved!!!