South Carolina.

This report analyzes South Carolina's education funding environment, focusing on P–12 and higher education finance priorities, funding formula changes, and key state issues. The state emphasizes salary increases, infrastructure investments, and expanded school choice, with Governor McMaster's Fiscal Year 2025–2026 budget proposing significant allocations for teacher salaries, instructional materials, school buses, and higher education capital projects. Recent funding formula adjustments support literacy programs, school leadership development, facility safety, and alternative education, while transparency efforts include public dashboards detailing education expenditures and revenues. Additionally, South Carolina has implemented performance-based teacher bonuses and reached the cap for the Education Scholarship Trust Fund, with plans to expand it, alongside legislative proposals to support nonpublic education through tax credits and scholarships.