Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Legislation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Trustee warns of state transfer and voucher activity; public speaker urges action on low test scores
Summary
Board member Rev. Dr. Ralph Canty Sr. briefed trustees on a fast-moving 2025 legislative session, including a likely debate on a voucher bill (S.62) and potential state-mandated transfer policy; public commenter Keith Schultz told the board district test scores are "10 to 15% below the state average" and said the district ranks 46th nationally.
Board member Rev. Dr. Ralph Canty Sr. told the Sumter School District trustees on Jan. 13 that the South Carolina General Assembly would convene the following day and that lawmakers had prefiled hundreds of bills, including proposals affecting K-12 education.
"The senate is likely to take up the voucher bill this week," Canty said, referring to legislation he identified as S.62 to amend the Education Scholarship Trust Fund. Canty urged the board and superintendent to send congratulatory letters to newly elected state senators and suggested including the district's student-transfer policies in correspondence to ensure legislators are aware of local rules.
"It is suggested by [SCASB] that as a board ... we should send a letter to our two new senators congratulating them on their election, offering our assistance, and encouraging them to be in contact with us with issues relative to public education," Canty said. He warned the board to expect more state mandates and possible funding conditions tied to legislative changes.
During the public-participation period, resident Keith Schultz used his allotted time to praise some board steps but strongly criticized district academic performance. "Our results absolutely are horrible," Schultz said. "They're about they're 10 to 15% below the state average, and we're 46 out of 50 in the country. So don't tell me we're making progress because we're not."
Schultz also criticized the elimination of the district's education committee and urged the board to address what he described as a persistent lack of progress in student achievement.
Board members discussed the potential legislative timetable, the likelihood of a state-level transfer policy and the possibility that the Department of Education could require districts to adopt a state-prescribed transfer policy within 120 days of a state adoption. Canty told trustees the change would be part of a broader set of legislative proposals likely shaped by recent state and federal court decisions.
The board did not take formal action on S.62; trustees asked the superintendent and board staff to track the bills and to draft standard letters for new senators, including a copy of the district's student-transfer policy for Senator Graham as recommended by Canty.
Trustees asked the administration to keep the board updated as bills move through committees and to coordinate on any required policy revisions should the state adopt new transfer rules.
