Notices & Disclosures

Erin’s Law and Gavin’s Law Parent Notification

SC Whitmore School

Student Safety Policy: Erin’s Law and Gavin’s Law

At SC Whitmore, we prioritize the safety and well-being of our students in accordance with the laws of South Carolina.

In the year of 2014, the State of South Carolina passed Act 293 known as “Erin’s Law,” as part of health and safety education for its public schools. The purpose of the law is to ensure all students, pre-kindergarten through high school, receive this prevention instruction during the academic school year. The intent of Erin’s Law is to give students skills in knowing how to stay safe from sexual assault and how to report any incidents of sexual assault.

The South Carolina Department of Education created Erin’s Law instructional units in support of the new legislation that amended the Comprehensive Health Education Act. South Carolina Code of Laws Section 59-32-20 (B) was amended to read that the State Board of Education through the South Carolina Department of Education “shall select or develop instructional units in sexual abuse and assault awareness and prevention, with separate units appropriate for each age level from four-year-old kindergarten through twelfth grade.”

In the year of 2023, the State of South Carolina passed Act 54 of 2023 known as “Gavin’s Law.” The legislation states the crimes are for “threaten(ing) to release, exhibit, or distribute a private image of another in order to compel or attempt to compel the victim to do any act or refrain from doing any act against” that person’s will. Convictions can be punished by up to 20 years in prison if the victim was a child or a vulnerable adult, and up to five years for the first conviction if the victim is an adult.

Gavin’s Law also requires that schools collaborate with the State Department of Education, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, and the Attorney General’s office to implement a policy to educate and notify students of the law, which includes adequate notice to students, parents or guardians, the public, and school personnel of the change in law and the dangers of sexual extortion. The Department of Education recommends Gavin’s Law be taught as part of the Erin’s Law curriculum with age-appropriate instruction on the dangers and consequences of sexual extortion.

In line with our commitment to the safety and well-being of our students, we have implemented the following policies, as required by Erin’s Law, S.C. Code Section 59-32-20 and 59-32-30(G) and Gavin’s Law, S.C. Code Section 16-15-430, to create a safe and supportive learning environment for all students:

Prevention Education:

Reporting Mechanisms:

Staff Training and Support:

By implementing this policy, we aim to ensure the safety, well-being, and success of all our students. Together, we can create a nurturing environment where every student feels protected, valued, and empowered to thrive.

Proviso 1.3 Pursuant to Section 59-20-80

In order to ensure transparency with the South Carolina Department of Education and our stakeholders we have posted our annual budget and salary details for the school year below.

SCWS FY24 BUDGET PROVISO 1.3

SCWS FY24 BUDGET PROVISO 1.3 AVERAGE SALARIES

School Report Card

SCWS 2021-2022

Freedom of Information

SCWS recognizes the right of any person, subject to the provisions of the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”), to inspect or receive copies of any public record, as defined by law, in accordance with reasonable rules concerning time and place of access. In this regard, the following provisions govern such requests:

The following materials are usually exempt from disclosure:

Legal references:
S.C. Code, 1976, as amended:
Section 30-4-10, et seq. – South Carolina Freedom of Information Act

Schedule of Fees for Public Records

South Carolina Freedom of Information Act (§ 30-4-30(B))

A reasonable fee not to exceed the actual cost will be charged for the search, retrieval, and, when appropriate, redaction, of records produced in response to a request for public records under the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”). Additionally, copies will be charged at a cost not to exceed the prevailing commercial rate for the producing of copies. In certain cases, particularly FOIA requests in which a large number of records or confidential information is requested, a deposit not exceeding 25% of the total estimated fee will be required prior to commencing the retrieval and production of records.

Reasonable efforts will be made to produce records at the lowest possible cost, and the following fee schedule will apply:

The fee schedule may change from time to time as salaries and commercially reasonable copying costs change.

Fees will not be charged for examination and review of documents to determine if the documents are subject to disclosure. Additionally, copying costs will not be charged for copies of records that are transmitted in electronic format, although if requested records are not already in electronic format, fees will be charged for staff time required to transfer the documents to electronic format.

En Español

Avisos (Escuela Whitmore)

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