COLUMBIA, S.C. (WSPA) – In Columbia, lawmakers are making headway on a bill that would make school board meetings more accessible to the public.

Supporters said this will increase transparency. The bi-partisan bill would require all South Carolina public and charter schools to record their school board meetings and post the videos within two business days of the event.

“They should always be doing it, and we need concrete requirements for live streaming spelled out so that parents and constituents can go back and watch meetings after the fact,” said Felicity Ropp, with the Palmetto Promise Institute.

The bill would have the state board of education create a model policy and each school district would have to adopt a similar one. The model will then need to be approved by the district’s superintendent and the state board of education.

The recording cannot impact the public’s request for in-person attendance.

“This meeting isn’t being live streamed. Why not? Because it’s not required. So that makes it difficult for somebody like me who’s in the community,” said Debbie Heim, Lexington County resident.

The bill was passed in the senate unanimously and will be debated on the house floor Tuesday.
In the committee meeting last week, Ropp testified the bill should not include an added cost.

“As long as you have a camera on your cell phone, you should be good to go. In 2025, it’s not a huge ask for school districts, and it should be common sense,” Ropp said.

Heim added it’s crucial for lawmakers to record every meeting for South Carolinians, and it should be the same for schools.

“The purpose of FOIA is to prevent secret government activity and asking school districts not to stream their meetings or not making a requirement that all meetings subject to FOIA,” said Hopp.

If schools do not follow the policy, penalties could include taking away one percent of their state funds.
If passed, the one exception is a lawful executive school board session.