Guest column: Leventis using realignment as political maneuver to divert attention from board failing to make decisions
Editor's note: This piece was not fact-checked, but a majority of the Sumter County Legislative Delegation approved district consolidation to be implemented in 2011. Ray is a member of Rembert-area Sumter County Councilman Carlton Washington's Magnet School Committee and he has publicly endorsed her candidacy in the Sumter school board Area 8 race.
As a candidate for the school board Area 8 seat, I would like to respond to Mr. Phil Leventis' commentary on district realignment in the newspaper on Oct. 21, 2026.
Mr. Leventis' attempt to explain why realignment is not a good idea is flawed with the assumption that the original plan would be followed. The 2022 plan presented to the board and the public at that time is obsolete. To even think that the original study could be acted upon shows that no thought has been given to addressing the current transportation problems of the district which are affected by the attendance zones. The needs of the district have shifted, and consideration also must be given to getting students into facilities that are safe and not in poor condition due to lack of maintenance. A new plan to better distribute our students and utilize the best-maintained facilities should be developed in conjunction with the facilities study that is currently in progress. And as this plan is developed, open enrollment should certainly continue to be considered an option for families.
Realignment should have been a part of the consolidation plan implemented by Mr. Leventis in 2011. How long is the board going to wait to begin the process of making sense of the attendance lines? Mr. Leventis mentions that a Master Plan needs to come first. I agree that ideally a Master Plan would be driving the decisions made by the board, but when is that plan going to be developed? It has been discussed for years but has never been presented. The board needs to start moving forward and include the community with each step in decisions made about realignment and facilities.
Bringing realignment to the table does not mean advocating for a predetermined outcome. It means recognizing that the community deserves an honest conversation about the future of its schools.
With a common sense and practical approach, the district can alleviate some of the current transportation problems. There are many parental concerns that students are transported past a school to attend another school farther away from their residence. In many incidences, these routes cause students to arrive at school late, which results in missing instructional time and affects their learning in addition to their social and emotional well-being. Transportation issues can impact test scores, which impact the school and district report cards.
The board has taken a step by approving the facilities study to evaluate the condition of the buildings and project future needs. This study will not be completed until spring and is just one of the many steps that will have to be considered in creating a realignment plan. The process takes time, and constantly postponing even discussion of the process is detrimental to the goal of making Sumter School District one of the best districts in the state.
As a board member, Mr. Leventis should be advocating for the changes that need to be made to ensure each student has an opportunity to excel and not be hindered by transportation issues and inadequate facilities that affect the learning environment.
Mr. Leventis is resorting to using realignment as a political maneuver to divert attention from the board's inability to make decisions and also discredit County Councilman Carlton Washington, who is trying to share his concern that the school board is failing to take action on important issues that must be addressed.
Realignment should never be about simply closing or moving schools. It should be about examining the needs of the entire district, listening to stakeholders, studying the data and making informed decisions that put students first. Sumter School District deserves a board made up of members that will work together to support what is best for all students in the district.