Education advocates plan protest Monday in Columbia

State officials’ decision to allow $144 million in federal funds intended for South Carolina schools to be given out to the rest of the country has galvanized education advocates, and they’re planning a protest on Monday outside of the state Department of Education.

Monday is the deadline for the state to apply for the federal bailout money, which is supposed to save teachers’ jobs. South Carolina is the only state that has not sought out or accepted its share of the money, and the funds will be doled out to other states if no action is taken.

The South Carolina School Boards Association and South Carolina School Administrators Associations have been receiving calls from concerned citizens who want to demonstrate their displeasure, said Debbie Elmore, spokeswoman for the state School Boards Association. The groups took the lead in organizing Monday’s event and said they’re doing so because the community asked for it. The protest will be held from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. in Columbia.

“It’s our money and it just seems absolutely absurd that 49 other states will be thanking South Carolina come Tuesday while our state will be saying ‘thanks for nothing,’” Elmore said.

State officials have said the state doesn’t need the one-time money, with Republican state Superintendent of Education Mick Zais and Gov. Nikki Haley seeing it as federal intrusion.

Read more in tomorrow’s editions of The Post and Courier.