Gov. McMaster to hold signing of school voucher bill

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCSC) - Governor Henry McMaster is set to sign a bill that would allow families to get money from the state to send their kids to private schools.

The bill, which passed the Senate in January, establishes what are called education scholarship accounts.

Once it’s signed, education scholarship accounts will be set up giving families up to $6,000 to pay for tuition and other school-related expenses. Opponents of the bill argue the state needs to focus on its public schools, not the private ones.

READ MORE: After years, South Carolina appears set for school vouchers

The program could expand to as many as 15,000 students over several years or about 2% of South Carolina’s school age population.

A legal challenge could also come after McMaster signs the bill.

According to the South Carolina Constitution, the state can’t use public money to benefit private educational institutions.

McMaster is set to sign the bill Thursday at 10:30 a.m.

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