A bill altering the governance of the Clarendon County School District has passed the South Carolina General Assembly and now awaits Gov. Henry McMaster’s signature, drawing both support and criticism over changes to school board elections and financial oversight.
House Bill 3792, introduced by Rep. Fawn Pedalino (R-District 64), amends a 2021 law that consolidated the county’s school districts. The bill, which cleared the House on Jan. 30 and the Senate on Feb. 5, mandates that school board elections use a runoff system rather than a plurality method and requires county council approval of the district’s annual budget.
Supporters of the legislation, including Pedalino and Sen. Jeff Zell (R-District 36), argue the changes strengthen democratic representation and fiscal accountability.
“The runoff method ensures a true majority vote,” Pedalino said. “Right now, a candidate can win with a small percentage in a crowded race, leaving most voters without their preferred representative. A runoff gives people a second chance to make their voices heard.”
Zell echoed this sentiment, saying, “Democracy means majority. If someone wins with just 15 or 20% of the vote, that’s not the will of the people.”
The bill also shifts financial authority from the school board to the Clarendon County Council, reversing a provision in the 2021 consolidation law that granted the board fiscal autonomy.
Pedalino said the change is necessary to prevent unchecked spending, pointing to last year’s proposed 22.3-mill tax increase, which would have raised the district’s budget by nearly 14%.
“The county council has always had final say on school funding,” she said. “Even though the board was set to gain fiscal autonomy next year, it’s never actually functioned that way. This just maintains an important check and balance.”
Critics, however, say the bill undercuts the authority of elected school board members and places an undue burden on county government. Patricia Pringle, Clarendon County auditor and president of the local Democratic Party, expressed strong opposition.
“We elected our school board members to make these decisions,” Pringle said during a school board meeting. “This bill forces the county council—who already manage fire, rescue, and library budgets—to also oversee school finances, even though they have little experience in education funding.”
Pringle also raised concerns about the election changes, questioning whether runoffs would be held after general elections and how that might impact voter turnout.
Former state Sen. Kevin Lorenzo Johnson, who sponsored the 2021 school consolidation law, called the bill a “power grab” in a social media post, accusing lawmakers of trying to undermine the school board’s independence.
“They won’t accept that the school board was elected to govern our district, not the legislative delegation,” Johnson wrote. “If these people gain control of our school district, we will never get it back.”
Despite opposition, the bill passed both chambers with overwhelming support and is now awaiting the governor’s signature.
If enacted, the law will take effect in the 2025-26 fiscal year, requiring the Clarendon County School Board to submit its proposed budget by May 31 each year for county council approval.
