South Carolina Law > Code of Laws > Title 59

SECTION 59-48-10. Establishment of school.

There is established a special school of science and mathematics for the purpose of fostering educational development of high school juniors and seniors in this State who are academically talented in the areas of science and mathematics and who show promise of exceptional development in these subjects. The school shall provide accelerated instruction in mathematics and science in a residential educational setting.

HISTORY: 1987 Act No. 170, Part II, Section 23.

SECTION 59-48-20. Board of trustees; appointment; term of office; compensation.

(A)(1) The school is under the management and control of a board of trustees consisting of eleven members, as follows:

(a) one member from each congressional district appointed by the Governor;

(b) two members from this State at large appointed by the Governor;

(c) the State Superintendent of Education, ex officio, or his designee; and

(d) the Executive Director of the Commission on Higher Education, ex officio, or his designee.

(2) Members appointed by the Governor shall serve for four years and until their successors are appointed and qualify. Members shall receive mileage, subsistence, and per diem allowed by law for members of state boards, committees, and commissions.

(3) In his appointments, the Governor shall seek to obtain the best qualified persons from the business, industrial, and educational communities, including mathematicians and scientists.

(B) The board of trustees also shall include the following six members:

(1) the President of the South Carolina Governor's School of Science and Mathematics Foundation, Inc., ex officio;

(2) the provost or vice president for academic affairs from each of the following higher education research institutions, ex officio, or his designee:

(a) Clemson University;

(b) the University of South Carolina; and

(c) the Medical University of South Carolina; and

(3) two members from the State at large appointed by the Governor to serve for terms of four years each and until their successors are appointed and qualify. Vacancies must be filled by appointment in the manner of original appointment for the remainder of the unexpired term.

(C) An ex officio member who is authorized to designate a person to serve on the board in his stead only may make the designation if he intends for the designee to serve continuously instead of intermittently with himself or another designee.

HISTORY: 1987 Act No. 170, Part II, Section 23; 1990 Act No. 319, Section 1; 1991 Act No. 248, Section 6; 2000 Act No. 387, Part II, Section 46; 2012 Act No. 176, Section 3, eff May 25, 2012; 2014 Act No. 181 (H.4646), Section 1, eff May 16, 2014.

Effect of Amendment

The 2012 amendment removed prior subsection (A)(3) and renumbered subsections (A)(4) and (A)(5) as (A)(3) and (A)(4); and removed ". The provost or vice president for academic affairs of each of these three institutions shall serve as nonvoting members of the board" from subsection (B)(2)(c).

2014 Act No. 181, Section 1, rewrote the section.

SECTION 59-48-30. Course of study.

The board shall establish the standard course of study for the school. This course of study shall include instruction in the areas which constitute the usual high school curriculum and provide in-depth instruction in science and mathematics.

HISTORY: 1987 Act No. 170, Part II, Section 23.

SECTION 59-48-35. Requirements for diploma.

The students enrolled in the Special School of Science and Mathematics who earn a total of twenty units of credit distributed as specified in the Defined Minimum Program for South Carolina school districts and who meet the school's requirements for graduation are eligible to receive a state high school diploma. The board of the special school, in its discretion, may issue its own high school diploma.

HISTORY: 1990 Act No. 410, Section 1; 2014 Act No. 155 (H.3919), Section 2, eff April 14, 2014.

Effect of Amendment

2014 Act No. 155, Section 2, deleted reference to exit examinations in the first sentence.

SECTION 59-48-40. Admission criteria, standards, and procedures.

The school shall admit students in accordance with criteria, standards, and the procedures established by the board. To be eligible to be considered for admission, an applicant must be a legal resident of this State. Eligibility to remain enrolled in the school terminates when a student becomes a nonresident of this State. The board shall ensure, insofar as possible without jeopardizing admission standards, that an equal number of students are admitted from each of the state's congressional districts.

HISTORY: 1987 Act No. 170, Part II, Section 23.

SECTION 59-48-50. Administrative officer for school.

The chief administrative officer of the school shall be the director, who must be appointed by the board to serve at its pleasure. The director shall administer all affairs of the school, subject to policies, rules, and regulations adopted by the board. The director shall serve as the secretary to the board of trustees and shall report at least annually to the board concerning the state of the school.

HISTORY: 1987 Act No. 170, Part II, Section 23.

SECTION 59-48-60. Adoption of policies and regulations.

The board of trustees may adopt policies and regulations as it considers necessary for the operation and management of the school.

HISTORY: 1987 Act No. 170, Part II, Section 23.

SECTION 59-48-70. Endowment fund; organization and operation.

(A) The board shall create a Development Office for the school that will be headed by an executive director. The executive director shall be an employee of the school, be hired by the head of the school, and serve at his pleasure with a salary that shall be set by the board. The board may establish and maintain an endowment fund for the school that is subject to the direction of the Executive Director of the Development Office and that has the primary purpose of raising funds to support the furtherance of the school's mission, goals, and objectives.

(B) The endowment fund must be organized on a nonprofit basis as a separate legal entity recognized under and in compliance with the laws of this State.

(C)(1) In consultation with the Executive Director of the Development Office, the endowment fund must adopt an annual operations and capital budget. Prior to adopting the annual budget, the head of the endowment fund must meet with the Executive Director of the Development Office and the head of the school to review the endowment fund's proposed budget, and prior to any subsequent proposed material changes to the budget. The endowment fund budget and its fundraising goals must exclusively be based on the operation and capital goals of the school as provided to the foundation by the Executive Director of the Development Office and the head of the school.

(2) The endowment fund shall not accept any donations that are restricted in their use unless the proposed restriction is approved by the board prior to its acceptance and unless the funds are being used for a purpose that is needed by the school.

(D) Prior to taking any action, including fundraising, on behalf of the school, the board and the endowment fund must enter into a written agreement detailing the corresponding rights, duties, and responsibilities of the endowment fund.

HISTORY: 1987 Act No. 170, Part II, Section 23; 2020 Act No. 164 (S.613), Section 1, eff September 28, 2020.

Effect of Amendment

2020 Act No. 164, Section 1, rewrote the section.