New Amicus Brief: Promoting School Choice in South Carolina

Teachers unions and other activists cannot have monopolies on education

New York, NY — The Manhattan Institute's director of constitutional studies, Ilya Shapiro, summarizes an amicus brief to the Supreme Court of South Carolina in the case Eidson v. South Carolina Dept. of Education:

"The Manhattan Institute has joined the Liberty Justice Center, American Federation for Children, Americans for Prosperity Foundation, and Reason Foundation to defend school choice in South Carolina. In May 2023, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster signed into law an Education Scholarship Account (ESA) bill known as Act 8. Act 8 provides up to 5,000 ESAs for low-income students for the 2024-25 school year, growing to 15,000 ESAs in future years. The ESAs can be used for tuition at nonpublic schools, for costs like curriculum or computers, or for therapy or tutors.

"With their monopoly on public-education funding under threat, the National Education Association (teachers union) and NAACP sued to block the program. Our brief helps the South Carolina supreme court understand the many situations in which school choice offers the best opportunity for student learning, and shares research on the benefits of a robust and competitive educational marketplace."

- Ilya Shapiro is director of constitutional studies and senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute. Please direct all media inquiries to press officer Nic Abouchedid at nabouchedid@manhattan.institute.