2002 LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM & POSITION STATEMENTS

The 20 position statements that constitute Richland School District One's 2002 Legislative Platform were developed by the Board of School Commissioners, the Superintendent's Cabinet and our Governmental Relations Committee Cluster Captains.

The issues addressed in this platform are the ones we have identified as the most critical and deserving of legislative action this year. Our position statements are grounded in the district's beliefs, mission and objectives outlined in our 2000-2005 Strategic Plan, which is designed to bring about significant and sustained growth in student achievement.

• Richland One supports education accountability. Adequate funding must be provided by the General Assembly to meet the requirements of the Education Accountability Act.
• Richland One believes the General Assembly should review the report card process to eliminate adverse effects, such as labeling schools and minimizing the importance of student achievement growth from year to year.
• Richland One supports providing disaggregated and prescriptive data that identifies student strengths and weaknesses on the Palmetto Achievement Challenge Tests (PACT).
• Richland One opposes state-mandated standardized testing for pre-third grade students.
• Richland One believes that the composition of the Education Oversight Committee should reflect the demographics of the state and should include adequate educator and parent representation; therefore, we believe the General Assembly should amend the composition of the EOC accordingly.
  

• Richland One believes that the flexibility afforded to charter schools should be extended to all public schools.
• Richland One supports maintaining the racial composition standard for charter schools.
  

• Richland One believes that the General Assembly should increase its support to school districts for instructional facilities in a way that is equitable to all school districts.

• Given the prevalence and wide variety of health needs among students, Richland One believes that the General Assembly should provide funding for a school nurse in every school.

• Richland One supports local control in the governance of school districts.
• Because local school boards are held accountable for the academic achievement of students, Richland One believes that school districts must have fiscal autonomy. 
• Richland One believes that transferability within and between school districts is an issue of local governance. We oppose state-mandated transferability between districts.
• Richland One believes that effective governance is essential to the overall reform of public education in South Carolina. We support the recommendations made to the Education Oversight Committee by the Local Leadership Quality and Engagement study team.

• Richland One supports the state taking full advantage of Medicaid reimbursement; however, we believe the funds should be reimbursed to the school districts providing the services.

• Richland One believes that preK-14/higher education alliances will assist students in a successful transition toward furthering their education or making a meaningful career choice.

• Richland One supports legislation that prevents economic development incentives that reduce the local tax base without the consent of the school board.

• Richland One supports legislation that would provide adequate funding for a regular replacement cycle for the state's aged and high-mileage school bus fleet, in order to provide safe bus transportation for students. 

• Richland One believes that in order to attract and retain quality teachers, the General Assembly must provide full funding of the base salaries for educators at or above the national average.
• Richland One supports enhanced collaborations with higher education and public schools in an effort to improve teacher quality.
  

• The U.S. Congress should provide the level of funding promised when the federal law regarding assistance to students with disabilities (PL 94-142, now IDEA) was passed in 1976.