FORT MILL, S.C. — Fort Mill Schools is requesting several changes and clarifications to South Carolina’s new school choice policy before it goes into effect.
The district sent a letter to state education officials outlining concerns regarding school capacity, enrollment projections, and student discipline.
The new state law will require school districts with available space to accept students transferring from other districts.
Fort Mill, which is one of the fastest-growing districts in the state, is seeking more autonomy to prioritize its resident students as it manages increasing enrollment.
Joe Burke, the public information officer for Fort Mill Schools, said the district needs a specific definition of how the state will measure space in schools.
“One of the big things in the feedback we provided was getting some clarification on what capacity is actually determined as,” Burke said.
The district submitted these suggestions in a letter recently sent to state education officials.
The letter specifically asks the state to allow high-growth districts to deny transfer requests based on future needs.
District leaders want the authority to reject out-of-district students when credible enrollment projections show that resident student growth will consume available capacity in the near future.
This would prevent schools from reaching their limit before new local residents can enroll.
Beyond enrollment numbers, Fort Mill Schools is seeking the authority to review and potentially revoke a student’s transfer.
This request is based on the severity and frequency of a student’s disciplinary incidents.
The district also asked that any schools currently using portable classrooms be exempt from the requirements of the new law.
Burke emphasized that the district’s primary responsibility is to the families living within its boundaries.
“We don’t want to get into a situation where we’re not able to serve students in our district because we’re serving those outside of it,” Burke said.
District leaders are hoping state officials will incorporate these suggestions before the policy is finalized.
The new school choice law is scheduled to take effect during the 2027-2028 school year.
State education leaders said they are currently reviewing feedback from school districts and other stakeholders.
This feedback will be used to finalize the official guidelines for the law’s implementation.
VIDEO: Enrollment freeze reversed at Fort Mill schools, but growth continues
©2026 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/LH3JSJEF3VBLRJLJQESEAG34AM.png)
