3 trustees address 2 school board issues The Sumter Item talks key topics Contract, finances before with 6 senior school board members school board on Monday SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2019 $1.75 BY BRUCE MILLS BY BRUCE MILLS ment con- SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894
[email protected] [email protected] tract with the district’s The scenario of financially investing more into ad- Finances — both in new super- ditional capital assets by the Sumter school board open session and closed intendent, over the quality of its teaching personnel when en- session — headline Sum- Penelope rollment is declining is a major issue many say the ter School District Board MARTIN-KNOX Martin- district’s trustees are facing. of Trustees’ next meet- Knox of Bal- 4 SECTIONS, 24 PAGES | VOL. 124, NO. 111 A second, and related, headline issue is the recent ing set for Monday night. timore response from Shaw Air Force Base leadership that A district spokeswom- County Public Schools. PANORAMA it is “troubled” by the board’s recent actions to re- an distributed the agen- Martin-Knox is sched- open Mayewood Middle School and revert against da for the board’s uled to begin her posi- the previous board’s school consolidation plan that monthly work session on tion with the district on was aimed at alleviating financial challenges in the Friday. July 1. She is replacing district. Shaw is Sumter County’s largest employer The trustees will begin Debbie Hamm, who is in and a key driver of the local economy. Monday at 5 p.m.