Gov. Mark Sanford and State Superintendent of Education Dr. Jim Rex both agree there should be choice within the South Carolina school system. Their agreement on the subject, however, ends on there.

The two officials both have submitted differing school choice proposals they believe would improve accountability and performance in the state's schools. However, both of their proposals have already lost battles in Columbia. Both officials says they will continue to push their school choice plans through the General Assembly next year despite previous setbacks.

Both plans advocate a market approach of competition that allows students to transfer to another school if their current school is under-performing. The main point of contention between the two plans is whether or not private schools should be included as one of the options for parents.

"Given that 95 percent of South Carolina schools are public schools, that change could be politically slow," University of South Carolina political science professor Dr. Blease Graham says. Graham also points out that the political divide over the subject between lawmakers, the Republican Sanford and Rex, a Democrat, raises questions about the future of either bill.

"The issue cuts across party ideology," Graham said.

So far, the effort to offer private school vouchers or tax credits has been stalled since Sanford first unveiled the Put Parents in Charge Act in 2004. That act would have extended tax credits to low- to middle-income families desiring to attend private schools. The act did not pass the House, and other similar pieces of legislation have stalled as well.

Sanford firmly believes private schools should be included under the umbrella of choices available to all parents. To accomplish that feat, a tax-funded voucher would be provided to a student desiring to attend private school who normally could not afford it. The second-term governor asserts that his school choice program would only help improve public education.

"It has proven to be the case in states that have given it a try, where the biggest winners have been the existing public schools. It equates to the sense of competition," Sanford said during a telephone interview.

South Carolinians for Responsible Government, a group that advocates voucher programs, says that voucher programs have flourished in Pennsylvania, Florida and Arizona, according to President Randy Page.

This year, Utah become the first state to pass a universal voucher program, where all the state's students can participate.

Rex contends such a program in the state would be a barrier to improving public education by diverting time, energy and resources to private schools using taxpayer dollars. His plan involves choice within public school districts.

For example, a student at an under-performing school could transfer to another school within the school district. Rex adds this would give students access to a wealth of programs such as Montessori, single gender, public charter and magnet schools within the public school realm. Rex's plan passed the General Assembly but was vetoed by Sanford this summer and fell 14 votes shy of an override. However, he remains determined to see his choice bill become law.

"The idea that a student must attend a public school program based on the location of their house is an antiquated concept. We need to give them more options. It will make schools more consumer-responsive," Rex said.

Sanford says that proposal is part of a greater choice plan but does not offer true, full-scale transferability among schools. The reasoning for his veto was that Rex's plan provided a limited number of transfer opportunities that ultimately would provide fewer school choices, he said.

Sanford and Rex both say they will continue to lobby support for their school choice ideas in the next legislative session.

"We're going to try and try again. Persistency is the key to getting a lot of things done. It's a long, emotional debate, but a system that has a full range of diversity, to me, makes a whole lot of sense," Sanford said.

Rex's plan also calls for students to have the ability to transfer across school districts if two districts desire to collaborate on such an endeavor. He says it will be essentially the same bill as the one vetoed by Sanford when it is reintroduced to the General Assembly next year. The state education superintendent believes there is an immediate need for this initiative to become a reality.

"One of our challenges is to create a sense of urgency to make these things happen," Rex said. "We have to get over our petty differences."

T&D Staff Writer Lee Tant can be reached by e-mail at ltant@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-534-1060. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.

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