Sumter School District board invites public to its 'shared vision' meeting
Monday’s town hall will be at 6 p.m. at Crestwood High
In its push to "reimagine" public education in Sumter, the countywide school board has developed a draft "shared vision" and has scheduled a town hall to gather the public's feedback.
Student discipline, achievement, community involvement, recruiting and retention of employees and a new technical high school are all concepts in the draft plan, and Sumter School District Board of Trustees Chairman the Rev. Ralph Canty spoke Thursday on Monday night's town hall to gather public input.
Canty has previously called the document "the most comprehensive plan" ever prepared by any group of trustees since consolidation from two districts to one in 2011 and essential to develop a "progressive" educational system locally for students.
Currently, 14 draft vision statements compose the document, and the board wants the public's thoughts on it before it is submitted to Superintendent William Wright Jr. for his use in developing the district over time.
The format for Monday is the board will read the draft and then allow the public to provide feedback, Canty said. That is the lone item for discussion on the agenda.
"It is our hope and expectation that the community will buy into the shared vision and give us their input that might expand and deepen the vision, as we intend to present it to the superintendent soon," he said. "Then, he will develop the overarching theme for our district."
The town hall is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. at Crestwood High School's fine arts center, 2000 Oswego Highway. Anyone from the public is invited to attend, and the meeting will not be broadcast on YouTube as is customarily the case during board meetings.
The meeting follows a similar "shared vision" meeting with other election candidates from November that was held on March 6.
Canty said other town hall meetings with the public and full board will be scheduled in the future.
The new nine-member board, which featured a seven-member turnover in the election, took office in early January.