Rural and low-income schools

The South Carolina Department of Education received a $5.1 million formula grant from the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education under the Rural Education program (CFDA 84.358) effective July 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. This award supports the Rural and Low-Income School (RLIS) program, which provides financial assistance to rural school districts and low-income local educational agencies (LEAs) to improve teaching and learning quality. As the state educational agency (SEA) recipient, SCDOE is responsible for distributing these funds to eligible LEAs within South Carolina on either a formula or competitive basis, targeting schools with at least 20 percent of children ages 5-17 from families below the poverty line and designated as rural by the National Center for Education Statistics school locale methodology.

The grant enables SCDOE to support rural and low-income school districts in enhancing educational resources, infrastructure, and instructional capabilities to address the unique challenges faced by sparsely populated areas. Through this formula grant mechanism, SCDOE will make subgrants to qualifying LEAs to carry out activities that improve overall educational quality in rural communities across the state. The award represents part of the department's broader federal grant portfolio dedicated to ensuring equitable access to quality education for diverse student populations, including those in underserved rural and economically disadvantaged areas.