Board approves summer credit-recovery program for juniors, seniors

The Sumter School District Board of Trustees voted May 5 to approve a targeted summer credit-recovery program for high school juniors and seniors to recover course credits needed for promotion or summer graduation.

District staff described the proposal as an invitation-only program limited to students who earned a 50 to 59 (the state-defined window for credit recovery) in a 2024-25 course and who would be aided by focused, personalized instruction. Dr. Jade McLeod, presenting for the office of academics, said the program is not for initial credit but for recovery: "To qualify for credit recovery, those are the students that made a 50 to a 59 during the 2024-25 school year. For credit recovery, you cannot go past 1 school year." The program will use a computerized pretest/posttest model combined with teacher-led instruction for units where students lack mastery; all assessments will be proctored in school by certified teachers.

Proposed logistics: the program would run Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., for 16 instructional days (four hours daily). Meals would be provided through the summer feeding program. Transportation would not be provided initially; principals reported that historically few high school students used bus transportation for summer programs. Crestwood High School volunteered to host the program; initial school estimates suggested up to 133 students across the three high schools (Crestwood 10, Lakewood 37, Sumter High worst-case 86), though administrators said those headcounts would likely fall as the year closes.

Funding: ESSER funds have expired; district staff said they identified an unused partial FTE (director position funding that had not been expended because candidates declined offers) that could offset costs, and CFO Shatika Spearman estimated a fiscal impact of less than $100,000 to the general fund if the district covers program costs. Board members urged the administration to survey students to determine transportation needs before committing funds.

The board approved the program by motion (vote recorded as "Vote passes"). Trustees asked administrators to ensure state regulations are followed for certified staffing, documented instructional hours, and pre/post testing; administrators said they would adhere to State Department rules and submit needed documentation. A trustee urged the district to avoid charging students because of the community's high poverty rate; Dr. McLeod confirmed students would not be charged and that the district would explore transportation options if surveying shows a need.

Ending: The board approved the summer credit-recovery offering; staff will return with details including a student transportation survey and final fiscal estimates.