Forums conclude with Sumter school board candidates for districts 1, 2, 7; top quotes from incumbents, challengers at Crestwood High School on Thursday

All nine Sumter school board seats are up for election in November, and the leading teacher group with Sumter School District hosted its third and final candidate forum Thursday at Crestwood High School.

The district Teacher Forum, composed of current and immediate-past campus teachers of the year, organized each forum to consist of candidates from three districts (alternatively called areas), and all candidates received the same five questions selected based on importance from internal employee surveys.

In this election cycle and moving forward, Sumter School District's Board of Trustees is transitioning from seven single-member districts and two at-large seats to nine single-member districts, per legislation from the Sumter County Legislative Delegation.

Thursday's forum at the Crestwood High School Fine Arts Center included seven of the eight candidates from districts 1, 2 and 7, which generally compose the northern portion of Sumter County.

All three incumbent board members for the areas attended in Brian Alston (district 1), Frank Baker (district 2) and Gloria Lee (district 7). District 2 challenger Brittany English was the only candidate who did not attend.

About 65 people attended Thursday.

THE 5 QUESTIONS AND FORMAT

To begin each night's panel discussion, school board candidates were given time for a brief introduction. Then, candidates had a two-minute limit to answer each question, all in rotating order.

The five questions were the following:

1) What do you see as the No. 1 goal to build trust and transparency?

2) What are your thoughts about the discipline issues in our schools?

3) What do you plan to do to make Sumter School District more attractive to potential employees in terms of improving salaries for all employees?

4) With the massive teacher shortage, current teachers are stretched thin to the point that many might leave. What will you do to address the concerns of your current teachers and to ensure that they remain in Sumter?

5) Why do you feel you are the best candidate for the Board of Trustees?

TOP QUOTES FROM EACH CANDIDATE ON THURSDAY

District 1 race

Brian Alston

On school board building trust and transparency

We need to ensure that everyone has a seat at the table and all our stakeholder groups are heard. … We need to have students, every single employee of this district and every single taxpayer in this county deserves a seat at the table to ensure trust and transparency. We can't continue to have this perception in our community that the board is hiding things. We must be open and honest with our taxpayers, but we also need to be open and honest with ourselves about what is really going on and what is the state of the school district. And I think the only way that we can do that is ensuring that everyone has a seat at the table so their voices are being heard.

Daniel Palumbo

On the discipline issues in our schools

The discipline system is broken. Our teachers are scared to enforce standards. The students are running the schools. … Even a couple weeks ago during active-shooter threats at Crestwood High, I had to pull my daughter out of school. I even asked her because of all the disciplinary problems that have gone on, I asked her, 'Did you learn anything today?' She said, 'No, Dad. I had to look over my shoulder.' My solution is I believe we need to secure our classrooms with cameras in every single classroom and hallways to deter most classroom disruptions and provide evidence for mischief and threats. The majority of the young people are followers. When they know somebody is watching, this will diminish the classroom disruptions.

Sharon Teigue

On how to improve salaries for all employees

Our money comes from the number of students that we are serving at some level between the federal and the state, and every year we have fewer and fewer students. … That's one important factor in the budgeting. We have to ask ourselves why we are losing students, where are they going? … I think there should probably be an ad-hoc committee to look at various schools to see where we are losing teachers the most, where we have the most openings for teachers? Let's take a look at that. Where are we losing students? We need to really look at the root cause of those things.

District 2 race

Frank Baker

On school board building trust and transparency

Some of the best information that we can go on to make improvements will come from our teachers. But, we have to take action on it, and we have to follow through. They are the frontline people who know what is going on. … We have got to find more effective ways to reach out to our stakeholders so they feel that their voices are being heard.

John 'J' Wrenn Jr.

On why he is the best candidate

This is a time for change and firm action. The current board has had many opportunities to resolve these revolving, continual issues and have failed to act. These issues should not be going on. I will have communication with the school board, staff, parents and their students and the community to ensure that we always keep the children first. … I will always advocate for what is right for the greater good.

Brittany English (not in attendance)

District 7 race

Gloria Lee

On school board building trust and transparency

Trust is something that we must really work very hard to engage in. We have to engage in our community, our teachers, our students and all of those involved in the district. ... Trust and transparency are very important, and we must take that very seriously. If we don't take it seriously, we cannot expect our children to take our teachers seriously because they don't see the trust and transparency with us.

Shery Smith

On why she is the best candidate

I have listened for three nights now to board members running for the board. A lot of them have told us about some wonderful ideas, and a lot of them are in agreement. I have totaled up some consensus. And, yet these policies have not been implemented. I have a proven track record of being able to build a consensus among all stakeholders. … If everybody thinks these are good ideas, why aren't they happening? I don't think we have the spine to stand up for what we believe. I have that spine. I will not back down, and I will fight for the teachers and the students.