FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 8, 2018
Press Contact: Brad Warthen, 803-315-1886
brad@jamessmith.com

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Henry McMaster has a new ad out that we find puzzling: He’s proposing to put police officers in all the schools in South Carolina.

That’s a fine idea, which is why James Smith and other lawmakers have already made sure that will happen.

The state of South Carolina already has a plan in place to have those officers in every public school by 2020. Just last month, they were added to 38 additional schools. And this will keep happening until the goal is achieved. As governor, James Smith will work with lawmakers to make sure we keep to the timetable.

In other words, it’s going to happen, with or without Henry McMaster.

South Carolina will also add mental health counselors to the schools by 2022 – because armed officers aren’t the only safeguard that can help prevent violence in our schools.

But if James Smith is elected governor and Mandy Powers Norrell becomes lieutenant governor, they will do so much more for our schools.

“There’s one thing that’s essential to our children’s education, and that’s good teachers,” said Smith. “I would address the teacher shortage by raising their pay above the Southeastern average and starting initiatives to improve recruitment, performance and retention.”

“We need our children to be safe at school,” said Norrell. “But we also need them to learn while they are there.”

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