1	Imagine… A New Computer for Every Student in South Carolina!
2	Imagine… Five-Thousand New South Carolina Teachers Paid $40,000 a Year!
3	Imagine… Over $260 Million a Year More for South Carolina’s Students and Teachers!
4	We Don’t Have To Imagine It. We Can Put Over $260 Million a Year More into South Carolina’s Classrooms Without a Tax Increase!
5	"South Carolina ranks 35^th nationally" South Carolina ranks 35^th nationally, with only 59.7% of our education dollars reaching the classroom. By moving South Carolina from 59.7% to 65%, we’ll put an additional $264 Million a year into our classrooms – without a tax increase! That’s less wasteful spending and more resources for our Teachers and Children. Source: National Center for Educational Reform, June 2005
6	The Stavrinakis Education Plan: Improves public education by eliminating wasteful spending and requiring priorities for the use of education tax dollars. Requires every South Carolina School District to spend 65% of their education dollars in the classroom on Teachers & Kids. Keeps local control of education, but demands statewide accountability for use of tax dollars. Redirects millions of tax dollars into the classroom WITHOUT RAISING TAXES!
7	What the Stavrinakis Education Plan does for Charleston County! Currently Charleston Co. spends only 58.8% of each education dollar in the classroom, which is even below the deficient statewide average. Under the Stavrinakis Plan, over $20.6 million will be taken from annual wasteful spending and added to our classrooms each year without a tax increase. That equals to $500 for every student or allows for a $10,000 pay increase to every teacher in Charleston County alone.
8	The Stavrinakis Education Plan Requires: Every school district shall spend 65% of their budget on “in classroom” instruction using amended Nation Center for Educational Statistics definitions. School Districts that currently fall below the 65% goal are required to increase that percentage by a minimum of 2% a year until the 65% goal is met without raising taxes. School Districts will annually verify to the State Superintendent of Education that the 65% goal or 2% annual improvement is being made. School Districts that cannot meet either the 65% goal or 2% annual improvement can petition the State Superintendent for a renewable one-year waiver along with their proposal of what can be achieved toward reaching the 65% goal. The State Superintendent shall have 30 days to either deny, grant or grant-in-partial the one-year waiver or grant a partial one-year waiver short of the 65% goal or 2% annual increase. The Legislature will be left with the opportunity to determine what punitive action may be taken if School Districts do not voluntarily comply with the requirements.
9	Inside and Outside the Classroom Spending “In the Classroom” Classroom Teachers, Personnel (including instructional & student support staff) General Instruction Supplies Instructional Aides Activities -- Field Trip, Athletics, Music, Arts “Outside the Classroom” Administration Plant Operations & Maintenance Food Services Transportation In the Classroom education includes most anything that directly impacts the child… whether teaching a child to read a book or teaching kids about math, science, history and other subjects. Source: National Center for Educational Statistics as amended
10	NAEP Standardized Tests & Classroom Funding: The Top 10% of U.S. states in Standardized Testing scores have the highest percentage of “in classroom funding” at 64.12%. The Bottom 10% of U.S. states in Standardized Testing scores have the lowest percentage of “in classroom funding” at 59.46%. South Carolina ranks closer to the bottom 10% by only using 59.7% of its education dollars for inside the classroom.
11	The Stavrinakis Education Plan demands more education from our dollars! Not only are our teachers underpaid, but day in and day out teachers across this state reach into their own pockets for basic classroom supplies. All the while, our children’s education suffers and our tax dollars are not being used efficiently, yet in every school district money is being spent carelessly and wasted indefinitely. Would our classrooms work better if we identified and cut the wasteful spending and moved that money into the classroom? Ben Franklin said, “A Penny saved is a penny earned.” For South Carolina’s K-12 public education, five pennies saved equals $264 million earned!