COLOMBIA, SC (AP) – After being reprimanded in court for trying to spend his share of the federal COVID-19 money on private school scholarships, the South Carolina governor wants to spend the money on early childhood education, professional training and guardians for foster children instead of.
Governor Henry McMaster announced on Tuesday how he will spend about $ 20 million of the $ 48 million set aside for him to spend at his discretion. The governor has a May deadline to decide how to spend the remaining $ 28 million in donations.
McMaster’s initial plan announced in July was to spend most of the money on grants of up to $ 6,500 to help parents send their children to private or religious schools offering school instruction, when most schools across the state are still had virtual classes, at least part of the time.
The state Supreme Court ruled in October that McMaster’s plans violated the state constitution by sending public money to private schools. The decision also suspended $ 2.4 million set aside by the governor for technological improvements at historically black universities and colleges. McMaster has not announced whether it will restore the money.
Supporters of McMaster’s plans said more than 15,000 families expressed an interest in donations. Opponents said the governor was using the pandemic to promote school vouchers for which the legislature has failed to obtain full support in more than a decade of debates.
The governor’s new plan announced on Tuesday sets aside $ 8 million for South Carolina technical colleges to allow 3,100 people who lost their jobs in the pandemic to take free classes for health care jobs as certified nursing assistants or in manufacturing, criminal justice or computers.
McMaster will also spend $ 7 million to expand full-day pre-kindergarten to 4-year-olds. The program is free for families whose children are on Medicaid or earn just under twice the federal poverty level.
South Carolina’s 4K program uses private educators and public schools. McMaster said he will send $ 5 million to First Steps, which works with private programs, and $ 2 million to public schools through the state Department of Education. The governor said that if public schools show more interest, he will give them more money.
McMaster’s plan also gives $ 4.9 million to the South Carolina Department of Social Services to improve education in 74 collective homes and about 600 children living with foster families.
Most of the money will go to private lessons, although about $ 300,000 is set aside to provide better internet connections for collective homes and to give these children tablets and other devices.
Tuesday’s press conference to announce his plans was McMaster’s first public appearance since the December 22 announcement that he hired COVID-19. McMaster’s office said he had “mild symptoms of cough and mild fatigue” before recovering without further problems.
“I feel like Superman,” said the 73-year-old governor, saying he felt tired for a few days.
McMaster’s wife tested positive before her husband and was asymptomatic, officials said. The governor said she was fine, too.
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