Private school advocates speak out against lawsuit looking to take away state funding

HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — The upcoming school year is about a month away and the South Carolina Supreme Court is questioning whether state funding should help families pay for private educations.

Gov. Henry McMaster signed a bill last spring to establish an education scholarship trust fund providing $6,000 to help pay for tuition, supplies and other costs starting in 2024-25.

Last October, parents and teachers filed a lawsuit against using taxpayer dollars to help students attend private schools. They say the program violates several parts of the South Carolina constitution and will take money away from the state’s public school system.

“If money is a barrier and we have the opportunity to eliminate that, we need to be taking it,” Molly Heemer, founder of micro school Discovery Academy said.

The state Department of Education said space is limited to 5,000 K-12 students for the upcoming school year. But even with the lawsuit, the agency’s website states next year’s application for funding will open in January.

Melinda Tavernier has 30 years of experience working in public and private schools and says one size doesn’t fit all.

“That’s where you start raising questions,” Tavernier said. “Why is this not working for my child? I believe every child can learn. We’ve just got to find the right environment for them to learn in.”

Tavernier says 40 other states offer this kind of funding. She adds many families are moving to Horry County and need access to different kinds of education.

“I know they’re building schools and they’re working very, very hard to take care of the population that we have,” Tavernier said. “But there are children that are going to be falling through the cracks in the next couple of years.”

Heemer, founder of Discovery Academy is for kids’ kindergarten through second grade.

She says many students in public schools can be overwhelmed in a learning environment with 20 other kids to a classroom.

She says as a micro school, its focus is on 10 to 12 students at a time so students who need it can receive a more tailored learning experience.

“So if you have the opportunity to give a child the advantage of going to a school where they will thrive, I just don’t understand why people would want to take that away,” Heemer said.

A spokesperson for Gov. McMaster told News13 it was expected a lawsuit would be filed after he signed it into law. They say the case is now waiting on a decision from the state supreme court.

The state’s education department didn’t respond a request for comment, but says online that funds for upcoming year will be disbursed at the end of July.

If you’re interested in applying for funds for the 2025-2026 school year, click here . The application opens Jan. 15.

* * *

Adrianna Lawrence is a multimedia journalist at News13. Adrianna is originally from Virginia Beach, Virginia, and joined the News13 team in June 2023 after graduating from Virginia Commonwealth University in May 2023. Keep up with Adrianna on Instagram, Facebook , and X, formerly Twitter . You can also read more of her work, here .

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW.