CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) – A judge in the Orangeburg County court signed a temporary restraining order on Wednesday to prevent the distribution of SAFE grants to help subsidize tuition at private and parish schools for low-income students.
Governor Henry McMaster announced Secure Access to Flexible Educational Grants at a news conference on Monday, saying he was allocating $ 32 million in funding for the program. The money comes from the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund. South Carolina’s stake in the GEER funds totaled $ 48 million.
Under the plan, grants of up to $ 6,500 would be based on needs and to be eligible for SAFE Grants, the student must belong to a family with an adjusted gross income of 300% or less from the federal poverty level, said McMaster.
The court order of the Orangeburg County Court, Judge Edgar Dickson, says a hearing will be held at 2 pm on June 29 at the Orangeburg County Court.
The plaintiff, who worked for more than 15 years in public education, filed a petition in court alleging that the grant program violates a part of the South Carolina Constitution that prevents the state from funding private or religious education.
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