S.C. superintendent seeks millions to strengthen school safety
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - South Carolina’s superintendent of education wants more money from lawmakers to raise teachers’ base pay and retain more bus drivers.
But one of state Superintendent Ellen Weaver’s big focuses will be ensuring students and employees are safe at school – and she’s asking lawmakers for millions of dollars to do that.
She may find a friendly ear among some lawmakers.
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“We are remiss if we do not make sure every child has a safe environment,” said state Rep. Shannon Erickson, Education and Public Works Committee chair.
Among Weaver’s budget requests is $20 million for a grant program for schools to make security improvements.
Nearly $2 million is for safety tools on school-issued devices, like tablet computers.
And $45 million is allocated to retain school bus drivers and replace outdated school buses.
Finally, Weaver’s top priority in this area is $5 million to create a system of digital maps for every school campus in South Carolina. The maps can be shared with first responders in emergencies.
“I think it would go so far to ensure that our law enforcement and our educators are on the same page when minutes matter and student lives could be on the line,” Weaver said.
Weaver’s other requests include focuses on student success, teacher and workforce readiness.
Right now, lawmakers are hearing budget requests from state agency heads, like Weaver.
After those are done, they’ll start drafting the next spending plan.
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