South Carolina Rep. Bruce Bannister recently received the Exceptional Service to Public Education Award from Greenville County Schools.
The award recognizes Bannister’s support of K-12 public education in the state and his commitment to the students, teachers and families of the local school district. Superintendent Burke Royster presented the award to Bannister during the GCS Board of Trustees meeting on Sept. 22.
Bannister serves as the chairman of the S.C. House Ways and Means Committee and the Greenville County Legislative Delegation. He represents District 24, which includes a portion of Greenville County.
Royster said Bannister has positively impacted the climate of public education in South Carolina, benefiting school districts and students across the state. He highlighted Bannister’s involvement in restructuring the State Aid to Classroom formula to address disparities in annual state funding allocations for public and charter schools.
Bannister was also recognized for his efforts to secure additional state funds to expand the Meeting Street Scholarship Fund to all 36 counties in South Carolina. Royster said approximately 300 high school graduates in Greenville County will now have access to the scholarship.
“Chairman Bannister is always available to us and is very gracious with his time,” Royster said. “And most importantly, he listens to the things that we share with him. He asks questions about them, and when he sees that issues should be addressed and need to be addressed, he takes action to do that.”
Bannister said he is proud to partner with Greenville County Schools and the South Carolina Department of Education to help move the state forward.
