Last year S.C. lawmakers passed a bill requiring the 80+ school districts in our state to make their students take statewide testing online, rather than with the old-school pencil + paper. Last spring, 47 schools (five of which are in the Midlands) asked for waivers, stating they don’t have the resources to meet the new requirement – 40 districts don’t enough computers + 36 districts don’t have quality internet access.

~$29 a year (2015, 2016, 2017) was approved to aid districts in upgrading their technology but was cut to $12 million in July. Spending cuts aside, some districts are saying money for computers, tablets + improved internet won’t to fix the issues keeping them from meeting requirements.

31 districts said meeting the requirements would be impossible without significant renovations, like fixing leaky roofs, improving the air conditioning in specific areas + removing concrete walls that block internet connections. Other districts said their students are too young for online testing, stating most elementary-aged kids don’t have satisfactory keyboard + typing skills needed for computer-based testing.