State education chief Jim Rex said Friday he remains committed to being public school choice's lead advocate because it is something S.C. parents want.
Public schools of the future are going to be part of "a system driven by parental choice," he said.
The school choice bill would have relaxed regulations that limit student movement between public schools, but proponents failed Thursday to muster enough votes to overcome a gubernatorial veto.
Nevertheless, Rex said he is not deterred. He said he learned "a valuable lesson" about how commitments on controversial legislation shift quickly.
Rex said he will go ahead with forming an office of school choice within the state Department of Education. He plans to scour the agency budget for funding that might help several districts underwrite school choice options.
"We're going to continue pushing the idea of more options [in public schools]," Rex said.