Baten Asks to Raise Taxes for Schools Proposal, Request to Ask Delegation for District’S Fiscal Autonomy Voted Down 6-1
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Tigers fall to N.C. State, tournament chances now slim B1 SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894 A2 THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2019 75 CENTS S.C. House approves its version of $9B budget Baten asks to raise taxes for schools Proposal, request to ask delegation for district’s fiscal autonomy voted down 6-1 BY RACHEL PITTMAN Tuesday that Sumter “Do we want to deny them these School District to increase the millage [email protected] County Council grant the funds that they are entitled to by rate, which would not have affected resi- school district “look-back law?” Baten said in an impassioned dential homeowners, but mainly busi- A Sumter County councilman is millage” for the past two speech at the meeting. “We could po- nesses. Council said the total of the two pushing for change in the council’s in- years — meaning the tentially play a role in [the district] requested increases is $2.7 million. volvement with Sumter School Dis- council would retroactive- not meeting their fiscal goal.” Baten also proposed that the council trict fiscal affairs, including a request BATEN ly hike taxes in Sumter The look-back millage proposal was send a letter to the Sumter County Leg- to retroactively raise taxes to help the County to pay the district passed over with little discussion from islative Delegation requesting fiscal au- district build its fund balance. the millage increase it re- the other council members Tuesday. In tonomy for Sumter School District. Gene Baten, who represents District quested but did not receive over the both 2017 and 2018, Sumter County 7, first proposed in a public meeting last two years. Council denied requests from Sumter SEE BATEN, PAGE A6 cures ‘Reading everything’ Entire Ebenezer Middle reads same book at same time, helps children in need BY KAYLA ROBINS [email protected] n an age of texting, social media and computer-based learning, one rural Imiddle school in Sumter County is finding out how im- pactful writing one letter to a stranger was for a friendship that crossed continents. The entire student and staff population at Ebenezer Middle School has this week been reading the same book at the same time in its new One Book One School pro- gram. “I Will Always Write Back: How One Letter Changed Two Lives” is a dual memoir that tells the true story of two teenagers, one an all-American girl, the other a boy in Zimbabwe, who be- came first pen pals, then best friends. SEE READING, PAGE A6 Kiondra Cooper follows along with the book “I Will Always Write Back: How One Letter Changed Two Lives” as Laura Burleson reads in her sixth-grade social studies class Wednesday. Inset photo: A class at Ebenezer Middle School reads their book on Wednesday. PHOTOS BY MICAH GREEN / THE SUMTER ITEM Public concerned with reopening Mayewood ment last year was down to which is less than two miles year as required under a new 141 students following at least away. The school is now oper- state law. 4 of 5 speakers at Monday’s a 15-year trend of decline, and ating as R.E. Davis College Dwayne Budden said he the school was closed by the Preparatory Academy, a K-8 wants to know how the board meeting against board’s vote board — consisting of five dif- school with a magnet curricu- plans to bring on additional ferent trustees before the No- lum. bus drivers for another cam- BY BRUCE MILLS Four of five Sumter resi- vember midterm election — Lavonda Johnson and Sha- pus when the district is al- [email protected] dents who spoke at Monday as a way to save money due to neika Cooper asked the board ready short on bus drivers. night’s board meeting in pub- low enrollment. At the time, what motivated them to re- “Are we going to bring in The general public seems to lic participation questioned the district was emerging open Mayewood given the dis- extra bus drivers, and how be concerned with the poten- the Sumter School District from a financial crisis from trict’s financial difficulties the are we going to pay for that tial reopening of Mayewood Board of Trustees on its 6-3 overspending its fiscal 2016 past few years and if the dis- when we are not fully staffed Middle School, given the sud- vote last month to rescind the budget by $6.2 million. trict could afford the action at this time?” Budden asked. den change in direction by the closure of Mayewood from 11 This year, Mayewood stu- and still reach one month’s Jay Linginfelter, an area school board and cost consid- months ago. dents have moved into R.E. operating expenditures in its erations in the process. The middle school’s enroll- Davis Elementary School, general fund balance by next SEE MAYEWOOD, PAGE A6 VISIT US ONLINE AT DEATHS, B3 WEATHER, A8 INSIDE Cheryl Denise Manthei Burton M. Hatfield Sr. RAIN UNLIKELY 2 SECTIONS, 14 PAGES the .com VOL. 124, NO. 104 Randall Lawrence Bloodworth Rashaad Ragin Warm temperatures under mostly Charles James Reynolds Tommy McFadden cloudy skies. If you can stand Classifieds B6 Obituaries B3 Daisy Martin Richard Dean Roarick the pollen, it’s a great day to get Comics B4 Opinion A7 outdoors. Television B5 Sports B1 HIGH 77, LOW 60 A2 | THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2019 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] House approves its version of $9B budget COLUMBIA (AP) — The South Caro- from the person who won $878 million certified and, as of yet, the funds have dents in kindergarten to third-grade lina House passed its version of the in last October’s Mega Millions draw- not been received,” said Simrill, a Re- classrooms in rural schools. Brawley state’s $9 billion budget on Wednesday, ing. publican from Rock Hill. “We expected said smaller class sizes are especially approving raises for teachers and near- There is $85 million set aside for a amendments from our Democrat col- helpful in rural districts with large pop- ly all state employees after fierce de- new fund for the Commerce Depart- leagues about how to spend this money. ulations of black students. bate in which Democrats complained ment to help bring business to poor, It’s unwise to allocate money until it “We know reduction in class size re- Republicans weren’t considering their rural areas with struggling schools has been certified.” ally does work,” Brawley said. changes. where the money can go toward water A Democratic proposal to use $23 mil- The House also spent several hours Legislators approved the spending and sewer or buildings and $61 million lion to give state workers paid less than on abortion as Republicans introduced plan 100-2 around 11 a.m. Wednesday, for repairs and maintenance on state $50,000 an additional 2 percent raise a proposal, passed 84-31, that would about nine hours after giving the plan buildings that have been put off or de- failed on a 76-37 vote. prevent state money to go toward key approval in a 14-hour debate that layed. “If we want to put our money where Planned Parenthood to pay for abor- started Tuesday and continued into the The House did little to change the our mouth is, we would pass this tions, citing Gov. Henry McMaster’s wee hours of the morning. plan crafted by budget writers. Instead, amendment knowing that this will not similar executive order last year. Feder- A combination of increasing tax rev- much of the debate was over Demo- break the bank,” said Democratic Rep. al law already prohibits federal Medic- enues as the state grows and other cratic amendments that Republican Gilda Cobb-Hunter of Orangeburg. “Fi- aid money from being used to pay for money from one-time places gave law- leadership told its members to avoid nally, let’s decide that 2019 is the year abortions with exceptions for cases of makers an additional $1 billion to supporting, according to Republican that we will do more for our state em- rape, incest or when the mother’s life is spend next fiscal year. Rep. Jonathon Hill of Townville. He ployees than to just give them lip ser- in danger. The budget, which now heads to the said the instructions were given in a vice.” Democratic Rep. Justin Bamberg Senate, includes $159 million to raise party meeting. Two other Democratic budget questioned the wisdom of placing a teacher salaries by 4 percent, $41 mil- Majority Leader Gary Simrill said amendments to reduce class sizes in proposal in the state’s budget that is al- lion to provide state workers earning Hill’s comments mischaracterized their schools were rejected. Rep. Russell Ott ready part of an ongoing federal law- less than $100,000 with a 2 percent pay meeting and missed the point, which of St. Matthews asked the House to re- suit filed by Planned Parenthood raise and $40 million for new voting was specific to a $61 million income tax store state-mandated student-to-teacher against the state of South Carolina machines. windfall the state expects from the $878 ratios, which were suspended a decade based on McMaster’s actions. It also would pay each South Caroli- million lump sum that will be paid to ago during budget cuts in the Great Re- “What sense does it make to even na income taxpayer a $50 rebate con- the winner of last year’s Mega Millions cession, while Rep. Wendy Brawley of bother touching this issue if it’s a sub- nected symbolically to the $61 million lottery.