On January 12, Governor Haley released her executive budget for 2015-16. Her proposal supports recruiting and retaining teachers in the state’s rural and underserved school districts; simplification of the state mechanism for funding school districts; expanding the reading coaches program; increasing support for reading instruction; investing in school technology and expanding the South Carolina Public Charter School District.

General funds for K-12 education would increase 6.1 percent to $2.6 billion; this includes $39.4 million (up 33.7 percent) to expand the reading coaches program and $9 million (up 50 percent) to expand the summer reading camps initiative. Universities would receive $356 million (up 3 percent), while technical colleges would receive $132.4 million (up 7 percent).