§ 59-152-70 — Local partnership boards; comprehensive plans; staff costs; efficiency collaborations; performance reviews.

(A) A First Steps Partnership Board shall, among its other powers and duties: (1) adopt bylaws as established by the First Steps to School Readiness Board to effectuate the provisions of this chapter which must include the creation of a periodic meeting schedule; (2) coordinate a collaborative effort at the county or multicounty level which will bring the community together to identify the area needs related to the goals of First Steps to School Readiness; develop a strategic long-term plan for meeting those needs; develop specific initiatives to implement the elements of the plan; and integrate service delivery where possible; (3) coordinate and oversee the implementation of the comprehensive strategic plan including, but not limited to, direct service provision, contracting for service provision, and organization and management of volunteer programs; (4) effective July 1, 2016, each partnership's comprehensive plan shall include the following core functions: (a) service as a local portal connecting families of preschool children to community-based services they may need or desire to ensure the school readiness of their children; (b) service as a community convener around the needs of preschool children and their families; and (c) support of state-level school readiness priorities as determined by the State Board; (5) update a needs assessment every three years; (6) implement fiscal policies and procedures as required by the First Steps office and as needed to ensure fiscal accountability of all funds appropriated to the partnership; (7) keep accurate records of the partnership's board meetings, board member's attendance, programs, and activities for annual submission to the First Steps to School Readiness Board of Trustees; (8) collect information and submit an annual report by October first to the First Steps to School Readiness Board of Trustees, and otherwise participate in the annual review and the three-year evaluation of operations and programs. Before December 1, 2017, and annually before December first thereafter, the Office of South Carolina First Steps shall publish each local partnership's comprehensive plan and annual report on the office's website. Reports must include, but not be limited to: (a) determination of the current level and data pertaining to the delivery and effectiveness of services for young children and their families, including the numbers of preschool children and their families served; (b) strategic goals for increased availability, accessibility, quality, and efficiency of activities and services for young children and their families which will enable children to reach school ready to succeed; (c) monitoring of progress toward strategic goals; (d) report on implementation activities; (e) recommendations for changes to the strategic plan which may include new areas of implementation; (f) evaluation and report of program effectiveness and client satisfaction before, during, and after the implementation of the strategic plan, where available; and (g) estimation of cost savings attributable to increased efficiency and effectiveness of delivery of services to young children and their families, where available; (9) submit for approval by the South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness Board of Trustees requests to hire a local First Steps partnership executive director. Such a request should provide the rationale for the request and include such information as qualifications of applicants, current and requested salaries of applicants, resumes of candidates, and any information to justify the salary requested; (10) submit for approval by the South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness Board of Trustees justification of and recommendations for the salary and any salary increases for the local First Steps partnership executive director; (11) implement and document an annual performance evaluation for the local First Steps partnership executive director. The completed document shall be submitted annually to the South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness Board of Trustees. (B) Each local partnership may, in the performance of its duties, employ or acquire staff pursuant to the local partnership bylaws established by the South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness Board of Trustees. Overhead costs of a First Step partnership's operations may not exceed thirteen percent of the total state funds appropriated for partnership grants. The South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness Board of Trustees shall contract with an independent cost accountant to provide recommendations as to an adequate, and not excessive, overhead cost rate for individual partnerships no later than July 1, 2017. Once these recommendations are received, the First Steps to School Readiness Board of Trustees may adjust the overhead percentage for the local partnership. Once the overhead rates are established, the rates may not be amended or revised for at least five years, and the board may not grant a waiver from this provision to the local partnership. Local partnerships that are not part of a multicounty partnership and exceed the overhead cost rate are ineligible to receive state funds. (C) Each First Steps partnership may apply for, receive, and expend federal, state, and local funds, grants, and other funding in order to improve programs as provided in Section 59-152-25(A). (D) To be designated a First Steps partnership, the local partnership must be a nonprofit corporation organized under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. (E)(1) Multiple First Steps local partnerships may collaborate in a manner they determine will maximize the efficient and effective provision of First Steps services and programs to children and their families and best enable the partnerships to execute their duties and powers established in this chapter. In such a collaboration, partnerships may merge or work in concert with one or more of their programs, administrative, or development functions or establish multicounty partnerships. (2) To establish a multicounty partnership, the partnerships shall submit a joint proposal to the South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness Board of Trustees including, but not limited to, a plan to ensure each county in the partnership coverage area is equally represented on the local partnership board. In furtherance of this process, the South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness Board of Trustees shall have the authority to set aside the local First Steps Partnership board requirements listed within Section 59-152-60(C)(1)-(6), as is necessary to establish a multicounty partnership. No multicounty partnership shall be established nor separated without prior approval by the South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness Board of Trustees. (F) As a condition of receiving state funds, each local partnership must be subject to performance reviews by South Carolina First Steps, including, but not limited to, local board functioning and collaboration and compliance with state standards and fiscal accountability. If any significant operational deficiencies or misconduct is identified within the partnership, the South Carolina First Steps Board of Trustees must identify a remedy with input from the local legislative delegation.

Legislative History

HISTORY: 1999 Act No. 99, SECTION 2; 2014 Act No. 287 (H.3428), SECTION 12, eff June 18, 2014; 2018 Act No. 152 (H.3591), SECTION 4, eff April 12, 2018; 2023 Act No. 81 (H.4023), SECTION 2, eff June 19, 2023. Editor's Note 2018 Act No. 152, SECTION 8, provides as follows: "SECTION 8. Section 20B. of Act 287 of 2014 [reauthorizing the South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness Act until July 1, 2016] is repealed. Act 99 of 1999, South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness Act, as amended by this act, is reauthorized until June 30, 2025." Effect of Amendment 2014 Act No. 287, SECTION 12, rewrote the section. 2018 Act No. 152, SECTION 4, in (A)(8), inserted the second sentence; and in (B), added the fifth and sixth sentences. 2023 Act No. 81, SECTION 2, in (A), added (9) to (11); in (B), in the second sentence, substituted "thirteen percent" for "eight percent"; in (D), deleted "private" preceding "nonprofit corporation"; in (E), inserted the (1) designator, deleted the third sentence, which related to the decision to collaborate resting with the local partnership boards of directors, and added (2); and made nonsubstantive changes.