- BIG STORY: Failing rural school districts face swoop of state takeover
- MORE NEWS: State law on mobile phones starts Sept. 1
- LOWCOUNTRY, Ariail: Hooray! We’re number 3!
- BRACK: S.C. may get 2 new members of Congress
- ANOTHER VIEW, Huguley: Fidding with immunity is disturbing, dangerous
- MYSTERY PHOTO: Under construction
- FEEDBACK: Great news on civics center
Failing rural school districts face swoop of state takeover
By Jack O’Toole, Capitol bureau | S.C. Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver has declared a state-of-education emergency in the Jasper County School District (JCSD). She will ask the state Board of Education on Aug. 5 for permission to dissolve the local school board and assume full control of the long-troubled district.
What’s happening in Jasper County isn’t unique. It’s a growing trend in areas with high poverty, low tax bases and fewer people. Since 2017, state regulators have swooped in to take partial or full control of rural schools in Allendale, Florence, Marlboro and Williamsburg and counties — with the partial Marlboro takeover occurring only about two weeks prior to Weaver’s current request.
And while no one contacted this week by Statehouse Report was critical of Weaver or her predecessor, former S.C. Superintendent Molly Spearman, for taking control of failing districts, all raised concerns about the state system that allowed them to fail in the first place.
Why rural districts struggle
For Sen. Minority Leader Brad Hutto, an Orangeburg Democrat whose district covers parts of six rural counties, the problems facing small school districts like his come down to two major issues: money and expertise.
He notes that most rural school districts are chronically cash-strapped. In Jasper County, for instance, almost 70% of students live in poverty according to state data, reflecting the larger economic challenges in the area. That makes it difficult, Hutto said, to keep up with modern technology requirements and to hire and retain good teachers — particularly with wealthier districts like Charleston pushing salaries higher every year.
As for the second challenge — finding administrators and board members with the expertise needed to run an effective school district — Hutto said rural areas are on the wrong end of a simple numbers game.
“In these rural counties, the pool is much smaller,” he said. “It’s just easier to find top-notch people in a pool of 200,000 people than in a pool of 4,000.”
In response, he said, the legislature needs to look at more aggressive district consolidation, creating larger school systems that can afford to pay for high-quality teachers and technology. What’s more, he argued, it may be time for lawmakers to consider creating a new division within the state Department of Education to help manage small districts.
“The constitutional obligation to provide a quality education is actually on the state, not the county,” he said. “We’ve devolved that responsibility down to the district, and in some cases that’s worked. But in others, there just aren’t enough resources.”
S.C. Education Association President Dena Crews, who represents teachers in public schools throughout the state, said Hutto’s approach would help address some of her members’ concerns about the current system.
“We need to be more proactive about offering support to these rural districts, so the state isn’t coming in to take over after the fact,” she said. “That means we have the right people in place to help with these kinds of challenges.”
Local representation at risk
Debbie Elmore is the director of government relations at the S.C. School Board Association, which provides training and services for boards across the state.
“Our concern about these takeovers is that when you remove an elected body, you’re removing the voice of the voters,” Elmore told Statehouse Report on July 31. “We understand that the issues facing these districts are challenging, but these [takeovers] often last for years with no representation for the community.”
Few local school board members have more experience with state takeovers than Williamsburg County School District board chair Marva Canion, whose district is only now beginning to exit state control after 10 years without local decision-making.
Over that time, she told Statehouse Report, that she thought the state has done good work in getting the district back on its feet financially and academically, with a professional budget and all district schools receiving an “average” or better score on this year’s state report cards.
In fact, she said, she and other district leaders are proud of the progress that their schools made under state control — and grateful for the state funding and expertise that made it possible.
Still, she said, the lack of local citizen representation is a concern, particularly when the local district is completely dissolved and not left in place even symbolically, as hers was.
“The Education Department has great resources, but I still believe that people should have local representation,” she said. “They need to be able to come to the people they elected and see it all [happen] in public.”
Next steps for Jasper County
Weaver made clear her intention to take over the Jasper School District in a July 28 letter to JCSD Board Chair Joyce Gerald.
Weaver’s letter followed a July 11 State Inspector General’s report that documented systemic financial mismanagement, conflicts of interest and potential fraud in the district’s operations. Six days later, the State Law Enforcement Division formally opened an investigation into the district and its former superintendent, Rechel M. Anderson.
In her letter, Weaver said the state takeover was “the only responsible path forward” to protect the interests of the district’s 2,600 students and the effective use of public dollars.
“My office — if approved by the State Board of Education (SBE) — will assume full management of the district and all of its schools, and the JCSD board will be dissolved,” Weaver wrote. “While I believe that the JCSD board desires the best outcomes for the students of Jasper County, … it has not met the level of action or fiduciary accountability required to address the district’s ongoing and significant challenges.”
As Statehouse Report went to press, local media reported that Jasper officials plan to appeal if the state school board votes to take over the district at its Aug. 5 meeting.
“It is probable that we will appeal should the state board make the decision to approve the state superintendent’s recommendation of taking over the school district,” Gerald said in an August 1 Bluffton Today report.
- Have a comment? Send to: feedback@statehousereport.com
New state law on mobile phones starts Sept. 1
Staff reports | It will be against state law starting Sept. 1 to hold a cell phone while driving in South Carolina. The Palmetto State is the 33rd state to have such a law.
Starting next month, anyone who violates the new law will get a warning through the end of February. When full enforcement begins on Feb. 28, 2026, violations will carry a $100 fine for the first offense. Subsequent offenses within a three-year period will result in a $200 fine and the addition of two points to a driver’s record.
S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster at a ceremonial bill signing on July 31 said the so-called “Hands Free and Distracted Driving Act” will protect people’s lives.
The law “makes it clear that when you’re driving that vehicle, you’ve got to have your hands on the wheel,” McMaster said. “You can’t be distracted. It’s just common sense. But, sometimes, it takes a law to remind everybody of that common sense.”
Exceptions include drivers who are parked or stopped, using a phone that requires voice-activated or hands-free option, using a phone navigation, music or podcasts without holding it, or reporting traffic accidents, hazardous conditions or medical emergencies to a public safety official. – Skyler Baldwin
In other recent news
2026: Norman becomes 4th Republican to enter S.C. race for governor. Conservative Congressman Ralph Norman, 72, of Rock Hill entered the race to succeed term-limited S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster on Sunday. He brought with him some big endorsements — from former Gov. Nikki Haley and former U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint.
- Mace teases ‘major’ Monday address, fueling speculation she’ll announce for governor
- Project 2025 author to challenge Graham for S.C. Senate seat
- Rock Hill state senator launches bid for S.C.’s 5th Congressional district
Arkansas governor to headline signature S.C. GOP event. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is set to headline the latest iteration of what was previously billed as the largest annual gathering of Republicans in South Carolina, a state traditionally key to picking the GOP’s presidential nominees.
Letter calls for May’s removal from S.C. House. A letter from the head of the S.C. Freedom Caucus is requesting an immediate vote to remove S.C. Rep. R.J. May III, R-Lexington, after he was indicted last month on ten federal counts related to child sexual abuse material.
S.C. says it doesn’t test for brain-attacking amoeba. In the wake of a Columbia area child’s death after encountering a deadly amoeba in Lake Murray, state environmental officials said they don’t test freshwater bodies for the parasite because there are no established standards to do so.
SCDMV unveils new driver’s license, ID card designs. The updated cards, which will begin rolling out this fall, showcase South Carolina’s heritage and natural beauty with imagery including the Statehouse, the Palmetto Tree and Crescent from the state flag and tributes to the state flower, bird and reptile. Additional features include more than 40 advanced security features and a new production process that incorporates laser engraving technology.
New student loan caps could worsen doctor shortage in S.C., nation. Experts are warning that new federal student loan caps could exacerbate the nation’s doctor shortage. In South Carolina, legislation to ease the physician shortfall has gotten no traction to date, but a bill filed by S.C. Sen. Minority Leader Brad Hutto, D-Orangeburg, is eligible for consideration beginning in January 2026.
- Have a comment? Send to: feedback@statehousereport.com
Hooray! We’re number 3!
Award-winning cartoonist Robert Ariail has a special knack for poking a little fun in just the right way. This week, he takes a poke at how Charleston dropped from top city in a travel magazine ranking to third – which tickled some locals who figured maybe so many people wouldn’t visit the Holy City now. (No telling what they’re smoking.)
- Love this week’s cartoon or hate it? Did he go too far, or not far enough? Send your thoughts to feedback@statehousereport.com.
S.C. may get 2 new members of Congress
By Andy Brack | Looks like the Palmetto State will get at least two new members of Congress in 2026 as two existing ones seem headed toward a Republican gubernatorial battle next June.
On July 27, U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, R-Rock Hill, announced he was running for the GOP nomination to replace term-limited Gov. Henry McMaster in Columbia. That frees up Norman’s congressional seat, which already has two candidates in the hunt – Republican state Sen. Wes Climer, who announced Thursday, and Democratic lawyer Alex Harper.
But the First Congressional District race is now getting attention with word that the incumbent, GOP U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace is likely to announce her bid for governor within days. If that happens, Democrats and Republicans are likely to have crowded fields of relatively unknown candidates who will try to win party nominations for the seat, which tilts Republican due to recent gerrymandering that wasn’t found illegal by a federal court.
“Both sides seem to have a shallow bench,” Winthrop University pollster Scott Huffmon said.
Of course, all bets are off among primary candidates if each party’s best-known name in the First District runs. For Republicans, that would be former Gov. Nikki Haley, who ran for president in 2024. But the Kiawah Island resident surely would keep her powder dry now for a bigger prize – a possible presidential bid in 2028. For Democrats, the most popular potential candidate may be former Congressman Joe Cunningham, who narrowly lost to Mace in 2020 and lost a gubernatorial bid two years later.
“All options are on the table,” Cunningham said Thursday. “I’ve been committed to serving the Lowcountry. Now, I’m fortunate to do that through my law practice. However, I have not shut the door on reentering public life as my passion lies with helping people.”
That’s probably not great news for two Democrats who say they want the seat – Mac Deford, a Mount Pleasant lawyer, and Mayra Rivera Vazquez of Beaufort County, the state Democratic Party’s second vice chair.
Deford said the First District race would be one of the most closely watched contests in the country if Mace leaves as expected.
“A Democrat can win here with the right message, the right coalition, and a campaign focused on solving real problems — not chasing headlines,” he said this week in a statement. “Voters are tired of political drama. They want competence and service. That’s why this race is going to surprise people.”
But there is a slew of Republicans who likely will run for the nomination, which could set off a political bloodletting that could make television stations richer.
Three-term GOP S.C. Rep. Mark Smith of Daniel Island confirmed this week that he would run – if Mace steps away.
“I’m 100% in if she’s out and stay tuned for details, coming very soon,” Smith said by phone.
Popular Charleston County Council member Jenny Honeycutt of James Island is seriously looking at running, too – if Mace runs for governor.
“I believe the Lowcountry deserves a proven conservative leader and committed public servant,” she said in an interview. “My family and I are praying about and considering a potential run. It’s on the table. We’ll just have to see how things shake out.”
Other GOP candidates could include Charleston Mayor William Cogswell, who wouldn’t have to give up his seat to run, and Berkeley County Supervisor Johnny Cribb.
On a demographic note, 72% of district voters live in Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties. Just over a quarter live in Beaufort County. Some 55% of voters are women and 79% are White. About 31% are 65 or older.
The psychological center of the district seems to stretch from Goose Creek through North Charleston to Daniel Island. But geographically, the district runs from Daufuskie Island in Beaufort County in the south and squiggles to Summerville, heads to St. Stephen in the north and then turns east to McClellanville at the Charleston County line.
Andy Brack is editor and publisher of Statehouse Report and the Charleston City Paper. His weekly column on politics has appeared in South Carolina media for more than 20 years. Have a comment? Send to: feedback@statehousereport.com.
Huguley: Fiddling with immunity is disturbing
By Mark Huguley | Anglers know you can often catch a big fish with a smaller fish. The world of law enforcement uses the same tool through the practice of granting legal immunity to shield some people from criminal charges based on how they help further the cause of justice.
When I was an investigator with the state, I learned to think about legal immunity from criminal prosecution as something granted by a prosecutor to a witness in exchange for testimony to advance the criminal prosecution of a “bigger” offender in some cases. Organized crime figure John Gotti was convicted, in part, this way.
After the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2024 decision granting absolute immunity from prosecution for official acts by presidents, I became disturbed by the possibility that this immunity might encourage malfeasance. What I soon discovered was that immunity is a broad and complex concept that should be considered with the concept of privilege, which guarantees specific rights that include the right to keep certain information secret. Complementary concepts, they’re essential for a just government if properly understood. But it isn’t all that easy.
The unchecked power of absolute immunity would pose a serious threat in the United States. It is both a threat to rights and the source of rights. It’s a tricky balance to get right, and the U.S. Supreme Court might have tipped the scales by blocking the prosecution of crime by presidents, both past and present. This sort of protection is extraordinary because privilege already guards against self-incrimination and now immunity prevents prosecution, too.
In our country, immunity and privilege are acknowledged in federal and state laws because of the fundamental rights that flow from the Immunity and Privileges Clause found in Article IV, Section 2, of the United States Constitution. So, the real challenge lies in how these laws are interpreted and applied. It’s a bit like driving on a roundabout where the direction of travel changes as you continue. U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem proved it can be confusing when she testified, “Habeas corpus is a constitutional right that the president has to be able to remove people from this country,” according to reporting by NPR. She’s wrong. It isn’t.
Everyone likes to have advantages, and constitutional immunity and privileges provide them. They were instituted for the common good and to ensure an independent and functioning government. Whether and when they provide their intended benefit depends on the specific circumstances. They work together in our democracy to block an action, such as when immunity prevents arrest or prosecution, or to grant privileges, like habeas corpus to determine if someone’s detention is lawful.
Deeply connected to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, immunity and privilege were priorities on the minds of delegates, including South Carolina’s four participating representatives, during deliberations. They reflect the importance of the broad and lasting rights established by immunity and privilege, even though these liberties were for white men with property, notably excluding enslaved people. This is due partly to the influence of S.C. delegate Charles Pinckney.
The police might never detain you in another state, but if they do, that state would be restrained from treating you differently as a non-resident because of the Immunity and Privileges Clause.
In addition to protections granted to citizens, the U.S. Constitution offers immunity to certain officials. Federal and state constitutions grant legislative immunity through what are known as Speech or Debate clauses In total, 43 states have identical or similar language in their constitutions. Recently, U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) reportedly relied on this privilege on the floor of the U.S. House to make allegations of sexual abuse. There is, however, no explicit mention of presidential immunity to be found in the Constitution, unlike the protection afforded to members of Congress.
So against this background, some argue presidential immunity is neither a necessary nor an appropriate alternative to criminal prosecution. Where is the deterrence if official malfeasance goes unprosecuted?
Unofficial acts are not immune, but the distinction offers no difference when it comes to corruption.
Mark Huguley, retired from a 36-year law enforcement career as a SLED agent and FBI intelligence analyst, resides in Arcadia Lakes. He is a law enforcement historian.
Under construction
Here’s a building under construction somewhere in South Carolina. Where is it? What is it? If you have a good mystery stumper to share with fellow readers, send to: feedback@statehousereport.com.
Last week’s mystery, “Memorial,” didn’t fool many of our longtime sleuths as they discovered it to be a Confederate memorial in front of the Calhoun County Courthouse. Hartsville’s Bill Segars tells us there’s another memorial on the courthouse lawn tht pays homage to local patriots who served in the Revolutionary War.
Others who correctly identified the memorial were Allan Peel of San Antonio, Texas; Jay Altman of Columbia; David Lupo of Mount Pleasant; George Graf of Palmyra, Va.; Ann Nolte of St. Matthews; Don Clark of Hartsville; and Thomas Jacobsen of Sitka, Alaska.
Great news on civics center
To the editor:
Kudos to all who are working to make the Civics Center a reality. As a deeply divided nation this is critical.
– Marcia W. Noonan, Gilbert, S.C.
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Please send us your thoughts about politics and policy in South Carolina, but make sure to leave phone numbers and hometowns to help us verify them for publication. We publish non-defamatory comments, but unless you provide your contact information – name and hometown, plus a phone number used only by us for verification – we can’t publish your views.
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