Sen. Tim Scott emphasizes school choice during Lowcountry elementary school visit

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — As Senator Tim Scott prepares to attend a rally in New Hampshire for former President Donald Trump on the eve of the New Hampshire primary Monday night, he made a stop at a Lowcountry elementary school.

Sen. Scott joined State Superintendent Ellen Weaver on a tour of Orange Grove Charter School to highlight school choice week, meeting with students, faculty, and staff.

"The quality of your education should not be defined by your zip code," Scott said. "When we bring school choice to the poorest quarters of the state, it is good for the nation, but it's really good for South Carolina."

Scott and Weaver said options is what the education scholarship trust fund is all about.

"We need a seamless system where students can go wherever they need. I know in my own journey, I was in a small Christian school, I homeschooled, and then I graduated from a magnificent public school," Weaver said. "And each of those options was what I needed at that point in my life."

Up to 5,000 scholarships will be handed out for the 2024-2025 school year. The federal poverty level for a family of four is currently $31,200.

Families making twice that, or $62,400 or less, are eligible. That threshold rises to 3 times the poverty level in 2025-2026, and four times the poverty level in 2026-2027.

For more information on the education scholarship trust fund, go to the Department of Education's website.