COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- Legislators have advanced a bill requiring most of South Carolina's public school districts to spend some of their local property taxes on charter school students around the state.
The House Education Committee voted 14-4 on Wednesday to send the bill to the House floor.
Republican Superintendent Mick Zais says the bill shifts nearly $21 million from the local districts since charter schools are public schools, too.
But school board officials say it's unfair to ask districts to part with that money as they face another round of state budget cuts.
The 11 charter schools organized under the statewide charter school district currently get no money from local property taxes. Five of those are online schools, with students across the state.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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