Column by Eugene Baten: District employees need livable wage for county to move forward

On June 19, 1865, Union Army Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas.

His orders were to inform enslaved African Americans that the Civil War had ended and that they were free from bondage of slavery - a message delivered more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation on Sept. 22, 1862.

Since that day (over 160 years ago), African Americans in Texas and other states have observed this powerful anniversary of freedom on what became known as "Juneteenth." The day's significance, however, was not widely known outside of African American communities. After years of advocacy and education, President Biden (in 2021) recognized Juneteenth as a federal holiday - our country's second Independence Day - and millions of Americans have been introduced to this remarkable story. South Carolina does not recognize Juneteenth as a federal holiday.

Why is the history of Juneteenth so relative? For over two years, enslaved people, who were free, continued to labor from sunup to sundown, live in dilapidated shacks and eat discarded and unhealthy animal parts to survive. What these human beings experienced then is what many people living and working in Sumter County are experiencing today.

Since we are here to debate the millage request of Sumter School District, I will focus my remaining comments on this topic and why I so overwhelmingly support their request.

Sumter School District is ranked in the bottom 25 percent (62 out of 76) of public school districts in South Carolina. Over the past four years, 10 SSD schools have been classified as Priority One schools by the South Carolina Department of Education for failing to meet state standards in reading and math. These schools consist of five elementary schools (Cherryvale, twice), three middle schools and one high school. In education, failure is not a SSD problem; it's a Sumter County problem because it impacts the quality of our workforce for future economic development. "When you invest in yourself, others will invest in you." (Baten 2011)

Sumter County Council has the responsibility to enhance and sustain economic development by supporting our Development Board's mission to increase per-capita income by creating jobs and luring capital investment to our community. However, to do this, we must ensure that SSD employees, other than teachers, are available and motivated. We must ensure that they are paid living wages that are compatible to other citizens, live in decent housing and have sufficient and healthy food for themselves and their families. We must also ensure that SSD has enough bus drivers to get all students to school on time so that they can eat and be able to concentrate on their classroom assignments. I realize that we have a high poverty rate in Sumter County. However, to make Sumter County a better place to live, learn, work and pray, we must respect all our citizens. We will not progress if we continue to pay "slave wages" to essential workers in SSD. Also, stop the failure of students in our elementary schools. "As the twig is bent, the tree inclines."

I have stated my reasons for supporting the full millage requested by SSD Board of Trustees. I am asking every county council member and SSD trustee to show Godly love by "treating others as you want to be treated." Anything less is immoral.

Eugene Baten represents District 7 on Sumter County Council.