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Public Comment at School Board Meetings: What to Know and How to Make an Impact

July 29, 2025

Written by Elizabeth Foster, Intern at SC Appleseed In our last blog post, SC Appleseed’s Education Policy Attorney Jennifer Rainville covered how to be in the know about your board’s meetings and policies. In this blog, SC Appleseed Intern Elizabeth Foster explains how to engage with members of your board through public comment. Public Comment,…

An Introduction to School Boards in South Carolina, and How You Can Get Involved

July 14, 2025

Written by Jennifer Rainville, Education Policy Attorney at SC Appleseed Things can be kind of overwhelming these days in the world of K-12 education. One question that I get asked a lot is how do I get engaged? What actions can I take to stand up for the things I care about and are important…

50+ SOUTH CAROLINA ORGANIZATIONS RESPOND TO CONGRESS PROPOSALS AIMING TO DRASTICALLY CUT FUNDING TO MEDICAID, ACA, AND SNAP

February 20, 2025

The latest Congressional Budget Office report estimates that the current spending package will add over $3.4 trillion to the debt. COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA – Over 50+ South Carolina organizations united to call on South Carolina’s Congressional leaders to protect Medicaid, ACA and SNAP from harmful cuts. The list of organizations supporting the letter to South…

Department of Education 101: Family Educational Rights and Privacy or FERPA

February 20, 2025

Written by Jennifer Rainville, Education Policy Attorney at SC Appleseed I had a discussion with Bridget Brown, Executive Director of SC Appleseed, in January about FERPA. She said something brilliant to me that made a lot of sense. We are living in a world of “could” and “should.” In this blog I am going to…

Department of Education 101: What is the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)?

January 13, 2025

Written by Jennifer Rainville, Education Policy Attorney at SC Appleseed Legal Justice Center In today’s blog, Jennifer discusses the history and value of the IDEA, a key law that protects the rights of students with disabilities. You may have noticed a distinct difference in the way that students with disabilities are educated now versus how…

Department of Education 101: The Problem with Public School Funding Going to Private Schools

December 10, 2024

Written by Jennifer Rainville, Education Policy Attorney at SC Appleseed Legal Justice Center In today’s blog, Jennifer looks at the differences between private and public education and the concerns around funding private education. Visit our first blog about Title I schools to learn more about the Department of Education and the work they do. South…

Department of Education 101: What Does the Title 1 Program Actually Do?

December 4, 2024

Written by Jennifer Rainville, Education Policy Attorney at SC Appleseed Legal Justice Center One of the major goals outlined by the upcoming presidential administration is the elimination of the U.S. Department of Education. Over the next few months, we will be releasing a series of blogs that will look at several key initiatives and programs…

South Carolina is Getting Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Hurricane Helene: What You Need to Know

November 7, 2024

On Monday, November 11, 2024 the South Carolina Department of Social Services will be starting preregistration for Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (DSNAP). DSNAP provides financial assistance to any household that was impacted by the hurricane due to damage or loss of income. It is a one-time payment that is dependent on the family size…

New Laws and Policies that Will Affect LGBTQ+ Students this Year

October 3, 2024

By Jennifer Rainville, Education Policy Attorney at SC Appleseed A new school year has started and there are some new laws and policies that are affecting some students more than others. There are a few changes that will directly be affecting students who identify as LGBTQ+. In this summary, our Education Policy Attorney Jennifer Rainville…

Replacement SNAP Benefits following Hurricane Helene

September 30, 2024

DSS is aware of the concerns from our state’s SNAP recipients on the likely replacement of their SNAP Benefits due to the loss of power in many households. DSS is working with the Federal partners in charge of SNAP on the process to issue replacement benefits for all those who lost power. This means individuals…