COLUMBIA — Hundreds of people from across the state rallied at the capital Wednesday to urge lawmakers to take steps to save education funding.
Various groups, including teachers, parents, students and school leaders attended the event dubbed “Enough is enough!”
A budget proposal before the General Assembly would cut funding for schools by an additional 6 percent, or $85 million.
That would return state spending for schools to 1995 levels.
Education officials have said hundreds more teachers could lose their jobs and class sizes would rise if the cuts continue.
“We’re beyond the easy thing. Everybody’s cut the easy things,” said Molly Spearman, director S.C. Association of School Administrators. “Now we’re down to personnel, we’re down to salaries, we’re not able to keep promises that we’ve made to national board teachers, so I don’t know of a single district in the state that’s not going to be hurt. Even though (some districts) have managed their money well, we’re to the point now where it’s critical.”
Spearman said school leaders are calling on lawmakers to re-examine tax exemptions, begin collecting online sales taxes, and raise the cigarette tax to the national average to help support education.
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