Ralph will fix our schools by letting the money follow the child through school choice.
Expand universal school choice in South Carolina.
Occurrences
Evidence
"We will unleash universal school choice, ensuring parents—and only parents—can fully exercise their rights as the primary decision-makers for their children to pursue the best education possible."
Norman wrote that South Carolina's Senate plan would establish Education Savings Accounts and added, "I believe we should expand eligibility!!" He said the current plan would use a Medicaid-eligibility threshold and that families above that line would not qualify.
The enacted act limited eligibility by income and school status, including that in School Year 2024-2025 a student had to have household income not exceeding 200% of federal poverty guidelines, rising to 300% in 2025-2026 and 400% in 2026-2027; it also excluded charter schools from the definition of eligible school.
In Candace Eidson v. SC Dept. of Education, the court stated: "We hold portions of the Act violate South Carolina's constitutional prohibition against the use of public funds for the direct benefit of private educational institutions."
Current code limits eligible students by income bands and defines eligible schools as a South Carolina public school or a nonprofit South Carolina independent school that chooses to participate; the chapter does not create universal, unrestricted access for every student.
Introduced in the Senate on January 13, 2026 ... Currently residing in the Senate ... Summary: Education Scholarship Trust Fund ... 1/13/2026 Senate Referred to Committee on Education.
TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 59-63-25 SO AS TO PROVIDE AN OPEN ENROLLMENT OPTION IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS ... (A) Beginning with the 2026-2027 School Year, each local board of trustees shall follow the policy and procedures established pursuant to this section for extending open enrollment opportunities that allow parents to apply for their child to enroll in any particular program or school.
The Department of Education shall convene and staff a study committee to examine and propose recommendations for alignment of the Educational Credit for Exceptional Needs Children, The Education Scholarship Trust Fund, and the Federal Education Freedom Tax Credit Scholarship Program.
Assessments
Norman's promise is from his 2026 gubernatorial campaign and concerns future South Carolina state policy, while he is currently a federal U.S. Representative. The available evidence shows South Carolina has taken limited or pending school-choice steps, and Norman has advocated expanding eligibility, but there is no enacted universal school choice program in South Carolina and no gubernatorial term in which he could yet deliver the pledge. Existing scholarship programs remain income-limited and legally unsettled, so the promised universal outcome has not been fulfilled, but the appropriate status is unresolved rather than never because the campaign promise is prospective.
Norman's universal school choice pledge is a 2026 gubernatorial campaign promise, and he has not yet served the term in which he would have authority to deliver it. Existing South Carolina scholarship law remains limited by income and school eligibility, and Norman previously advocated expanding eligibility, but those facts do not establish fulfillment or final failure of the later gubernatorial promise.