Court won’t allow public money to be spent on private schools in South Carolina

Associated Press

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The South Carolina Supreme Court has ruled that a 2023 law allowing parents to spend taxpayer money on private schools violates the state constitution. The 3-2 ruling prohibits paying tuition or fees with “Education Scholarship Trust Funds,” but allows parents to use that money for indirect private expenses like tutoring, textbooks and other educational material. The court won’t require money already dispersed under the program to be paid back if it’s spent on private school tuition or fees. The South Carolina law is part of a nationwide movement. Groups that study the programs report that at least 16 states have some form of the vouchers.