State Sen. Darrell Jackson, D-Richland, has said encouraging — even forcing — districts to merge would save money and increase effectiveness. He has a bill pending before the Senate to form a study committee to look into consolidation.

Others, including Rep. Lowe, say the answer lies in technology.

“We have to go into more of a virtual-school direction,” he said, adding that computers could give students in even the poorest districts access to a wide variety of classes, taught by the best teachers. “That’s the way to save money and get the best teachers in the state spread through the entire state.”

More immediate help will come July 1, when all of the state’s school districts will see at least a 10 percent increase in their base-student cost, Ragley said. Under the Senate’s version of the state budget, school districts would get $1,959 for every student, up from the current $1,617.

But school districts say even that larger amount is well short of the $2,720 per student that a state formula says is required.

The nine-member school board unanimously approved the application that will be sent to the South Carolina Department of Education to put a charter school within a school at the Anderson V Career Campus.

The charter school would provide an outlet for students who may be on the verge of not graduating or of dropping out, and would provide students a flexible schedule in which to complete academic requirements. Students would have more flexible class schedules and access to virtual school programs, among other things.

For the rest of the article, go to Anderson School District 5 board approves application for charter school