District news
State agenda proposes statewide ethics code for local school trustees
What happened
The South Carolina State Board is considering a statewide model ethics and governance code for local school boards at a second and final reading. The proposed code sets expectations for ethical leadership, legal compliance, accountability and sound governance; Act 191 also addresses mandatory trustee training.
Why it matters to families
The model would establish a common statewide framework for how local school trustees are expected to govern and be accountable, affecting oversight of public schools across South Carolina.
The evidence
The October 6, 2026 Policy & Legislative Committee agenda says Act 191 requires the State Board to adopt a Model Code of Ethics for local boards of trustees and describes the proposed code's governance and accountability expectations. SCDE recommends approval at a second and final reading; the supplied record is an agenda packet and does not establish that the code was adopted.
The source
South Carolina State Board — Policy & Legislative Committee — Approval of SC Model Code of Ethics and Effective Board Governance, Second Reading—Rebecca Blackburn Hines, Director of Policy & Government AffairsSee the full record for South Carolina State Board of Education.
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