Residents tell council Sumter schools lack community gym access and call for facilities in rural areas

Several residents and former officials addressed the Sumter County Council during the public-comment portion, urging action to improve school facilities and public access to gymnasiums in rural parts of the county.

Eugene Fagan, introduced on the record as a former Sumter County council member and former chairman, criticized the county's schooling outcomes and funding decisions and said he was "ashamed" that the county's schools rank near the bottom within the state. "We have to speak to the house," Fagan said on the record, and added he would continue advocating for children in the county.

Lewis Watkins, identified himself as a county resident, said he objected to what he described as outside private agencies financing school gymnasiums that the community cannot freely use. "I thought it was more or less not appropriate for an outside private agency that does business with the county to finance a... gymnasium that should be provided by the school system," he said.

A representative of American Legion Post 15, Jackie Hughes, invited council members to an awards event recognizing law enforcement, detention, EMS and firefighter personnel and encouraged council attendance.

Speakers emphasized that many rural neighborhoods lack publicly accessible gyms; one commenter noted there is not “a gym for 25 miles” between named communities and asked the council to partner with community and corporate groups to provide facilities for youth and seniors. Several speakers clarified that school gyms are not automatically public facilities and that district permission is required for outside groups to use them.

Council members acknowledged the comments on the record; no formal policy action or vote on school facilities occurred during the meeting.