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Bill

H 5695

Kershaw Elementary School

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Terry Alexander and 119 co-sponsors

Kershaw Elementary is recognized as a Beating the Odds Investigative Study school for achieving high academic performance in a high-poverty setting.

Introduced and adopted
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Bill Summary · H 5695

Summary of Bill H 5695 (Session 2025-2026, South Carolina)

Purpose and Intent

  • This is a House resolution recognizing and honoring Kershaw Elementary School, its pupils, faculty, and administration.
  • The recognition is for being selected as a Beating the Odds Investigative Study school by the South Carolina Education Oversight Committee (EOC) and for overcoming challenges to achieve high academic performance.

What the Beating the Odds Investigative Study Is

  • The Beating the Odds study identifies high-poverty schools that achieve excellent academic results despite significant poverty.
  • Researchers examine schools using longitudinal data and focus groups to understand practices that lead to success.
  • The study began in 2024 and aims to identify characteristics that can help other schools serving students in poverty.

Key Provisions and Content

  • The resolution declares that Kershaw Elementary School has been chosen as a Beating the Odds Investigative Study school.
  • It acknowledges the school’s ability to overcome barriers associated with high poverty to achieve high academic performance.
  • It notes criteria used by the EOC to qualify for the study, including:
    • School enrollment greater than 100 students
    • Overall rating of “Excellent” on the South Carolina School Report Card with no “Below Average” or “Unsatisfactory” indicators
    • Poverty level at least 75% (based on the average poverty index of elementary schools with an overall rating of “Below Average”; aligned with thresholds for federal Title I funding)
    • Open enrollment policies not contingent on academic achievement or audition/application
  • The resolution emphasizes the importance of high expectations, strong leadership, and student-first culture as factors identified by the study (as described by the Beating the Odds methodology).

Parties Affected

  • Primary: Kershaw Elementary School, including its pupils, teachers, administrators, and staff.
  • Indirectly: The broader community served by Kershaw Elementary and other South Carolina public schools seeking practices to improve outcomes in high-poverty contexts.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Status: Introduced and adopted (as of 2026-05-13).
  • The bill is a resolution recognizing the school; it does not create new laws, funding, or mandates.
  • A copy of the resolution is to be presented to Principal Kelli Overcash.

Notable Details

  • The resolution includes a long list of co-sponsors from across the South Carolina General Assembly, indicating broad legislative support for recognizing the school’s achievement.
  • The document frames the recognition within the ongoing effort to encourage continuous improvement in public education.

Bottom Line

  • H 5695 formally congratulates and honors Kershaw Elementary School for being selected as a Beating the Odds Investigative Study school, highlighting the school’s success in delivering high-quality education to students in a high-poverty setting and underscoring the practices associated with such success. It serves as public acknowledgment and encouragement rather than imposing new policies or funding.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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