Analysis of South Carolina education concludes only two states in the country from 2020 to 2022 decreased more in average teacher salary, and only 15 states had larger spending increase percentages for students.
The period is in line with the COVID-19 era, when the state and most of the world began to shut down on Thursday, March 12, 2020. Second-term Republican Gov. Henry McMaster on June 7, 2021, ended the declaration of emergency.
Education picked up more than $1.6 billion in relief money from the federal government. Other states got even more; how states spent pandemic era money and went ahead in future budget would reflect additional context for the rankings.
