Briefing Guide for Educators

Structure Description

Alternative school programs are designed to provide appropriate services to students who, for behavioral or academic reasons, are not benefiting from the regular school program or may be interfering with the learning of others.

Management Issues/Challenges

A district or consortium must submit a plan for the program which includes a mission statement, the policy for the basis of enrollment in the school, location of the alternative school program, and description of how the school will focus on the educational and behavioral needs of the student. The programs may differ from traditional education programs and schools in scheduling, administrative structure, curriculum, or setting, and state requirements may be waived in these areas if such waiver assists the alternative school in meeting its purpose.

Statewide Prevalence

Eighty-nine alternative school programs in 85 school districts serve approximately 11,000 students. Approximately 485 teachers are employed at alternative school programs statewide.

Anticipated Student Costs

Pursuant to S.C. Code Ann. § 59-63-1300 (2004), all South Carolina school districts are eligible to receive funds to design alternative school programs for students in grades six through twelve. School districts can choose to establish, maintain, and operate alternative schools either individually or through a cooperative agreement among districts.

Based on Section 59-63-1380, a school district shall allocate to an alternative school program the same per student expenditure to include federal, state, and local funds that would be allocated to the student’s school if the student were attending the student’s regularly assigned school. This shall include any appropriate special education funding. Districts or consortia meeting the eligibility requirements for alternative school funding shall receive an annual base funding minimum of $30,000 or up to $200,000 depending on the student population of the district; however, districts forming consortia will have as their base funding an amount equal to the total of the individual district’s base funding, not to exceed $350,000. The South Carolina Department of Education, for the purposes of establishing base funding, shall group districts according to their average daily membership and assign the amount of base funding that districts in a grouping would receive for eligible programs.

Transportation

Transportation is provided by school districts or parents.

Background

The alternative schools program was a competitive grant program authorized in 1998 by the Education Accountability Act to fund 10 alternative schools statewide.  In 1999, the General Assembly allocated $7 million to support the creation of alternative schools statewide.