South Carolina S 708: SCCAMRS Update

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 708 Text of Previous Version (Dec. 10, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 708

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 
59-19-370 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT SCHOOL DISTRICTS MAY APPLY FOR FLEXIBILITY 
WAIVERS ALLOWING DEVIATION FROM CERTAIN STATUTORY AND REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS; 
AND BY AMENDING SECTION 59-21-20, RELATING TO APPROPRIATION FOR TEACHER 
SALARIES BASED ON TERM OF ONE HUNDRED NINETY DAYS, SO AS TO SUSPEND 
REQUIREMENTS FOR DISTRICTS GRANTED A FLEXIBILITY WAIVER PURSUANT TO SECTION 
59-19-370.

Be it enacted by the 
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1. Chapter 19, Title 59 of the S.C. Code is amended by 
adding:

 Section 
59-19-370. (A) A school district 
may, after approval from the local school district board of trustees, apply to 
the Department for a flexibility waiver allowing deviation from certain 
statutory and regulatory requirements to improve student engagement, enhance 
instructional quality, support teacher recruitment and retention, and implement 
innovative scheduling models.

 (B) A 
district seeking a flexibility waiver pursuant to this section shall submit an 
application to the Department. The application shall include:

 (1) 
a description of the proposed instructional schedule or calendar;

 (2) 
a rationale demonstrating how the flexibility will improve student learning, 
instructional quality, or teacher retention;

 (3) 
a plan for ensuring coverage of all required state academic standards;

 (4) 
a plan for evaluating student outcomes; and

 (5) 
documentation of stakeholder engagement, including input from teachers and 
parents.

 (C) 
The Department shall approve or deny the application within ninety days of 
submission.

 (D) 
The Department may approve a district's request for flexibility if the district 
demonstrates that its proposed plan:

 (1) 
maintains or improves instructional quality;

 (2) 
ensures students have access to all content required by state academic 
standards;

 (3) 
includes a method for evaluating student academic progress under the 
flexibility model; and

 (4) 
provides sufficient professional development, planning time, and instructional 
support for teachers.

 (E) A 
district granted a flexibility waiver pursuant to this section may implement 
alternative scheduling models including, but not limited to:

 (1) 
a four-day instructional week or other compressed-week schedules;

 (2) 
ongoing professional development provided throughout the school year and during 
the school day rather than on the ten designated days pursuant to Section 
59-21-20;

 (3) 
school calendars designed around student and teacher needs, instructional 
pacing, or locally identified priorities;

 (4) 
an assessment schedule designed by the district that is less time-intensive 
than current statewide practice; the district being awarded the waiver may 
choose to utilize a state supported formative assessment for subjects in grades 
K-8 that encompasses the requirements for federal summative assessments as the 
sole assessment metric administered for accountability and reporting purposes; 
and

 (5) 
a district-developed school report card that is memorable, portable, timely, 
and uniformly applied to all public, private, charter, and other school types 
within the jurisdiction of the district.

 (F) A 
waiver granted under this section is valid for up to three years and may be 
renewed upon demonstration of satisfactory academic performance and operational 
effectiveness.

 (G) A 
district may request a waiver based on some or all of the above flexibility 
opportunities.

 (H) A 
district operating under an approved flexibility waiver pursuant to this 
section may design instructional schedules based on competency, content 
mastery, integrated learning experiences, and student needs rather than minimum 
daily time requirements. Districts may use this flexibility to include 
experiential learning and proficiency-based pacing or to incorporate more 
learning opportunities that focus on soft skills, play, life experiences, and 
other non-assessed, but important, life skills.

 (I) 
Districts operating under an approved flexibility waiver shall submit an annual 
report to the Department including:

 (1) 
student achievement data;

 (2) 
teacher retention data;

 (3) 
stakeholder feedback; and

 (4) 
any recommended adjustments to the flexibility model.

 (J) 
The Department shall:

 (1) 
compile an annual statewide summary report to be submitted to the General 
Assembly; and

 (2) 
develop application procedures, evaluation criteria, reporting requirements, 
and guidance necessary to implement the provisions of this section.

SECTION 2. Section 59-21-20 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 Sect