PICKENS COUNTY — The head of education for South Carolina announced last week that he intends to ask legislators to suspended some state-driven mandates in order to help school districts with their shrinking budgets.

And the superintendent for the School District of Pickens County agreed that such action would help.

Dr. Henry Hunt, said if the legislature went through with the request, which could include forgoing tests not required by federal law, the move would make a positive impact on the school district’s funds, as well as a significant impact on the state’s education budget.

“It could be a dramatic savings to the state and a savings to us,” he said.

State education superintendent Jim Rex said he will ask for the suspension of programs such as end-of-course tests taken in high school, as well as social studies testing in primary grades.

But Hunt also noted there are many other state mandates, as well as federal mandates that are either unfunded or underfunded by the government entity making the mandate.

On the state level, each high school is required to have one driver’s education course.

For teachers serving one to 22 years, a mandatory salary increase based on years of service is required based on years of service.

“But we don’t necessarily get the funding from the state to cover the raises,” Hunt said.

He also said the school district is having to dip into its pockets more to cover employee fringe benefits that were previously funded by the state.

The state no longer funds some of those benefits, leaving the school district to pick up the tab, he said.

The local school districts are also kicking in funds for the bus driver program, which is also underfunded by the state, according to Hunt, who also noted that while the Student Health and Fitness Act requires a certain amount of physical education time, there is not enough funds provided to pay for it fully.

Hunt said the school district has recommended to the local legislative delegation that they look at the underfunded and unfunded mandates, as well as considering extended the flexibility in spending funds that was extended to the school districts last year.

S.C. Rep. Phil Owens, R-Easley, has helped introduce legislation to continue that flexibility, Hunt said.

The special education programs, where the federal money coming in for the program isn’t enough to cover the entire cost, and the English speakers of other languages program, are among the underfunded federal mandates the school district must help finance, Hunt said.