Given format changes, only Sumter school board's Policy Committee meets Monday

Given the meeting format changes that began in July for Sumter school board, the second meeting of each month now is reserved solely for committee meetings, and the board's Policy Committee will meet Monday.

That means only the trustees on that committee will be in attendance, and there will not be any public participation or an executive session behind closed doors. The only similarities are that the committee meeting will begin at 6 p.m., and an agenda was placed online Friday.

Board Vice Chairman Brian Alston is the board's Policy Committee chair, and agenda topics include possible policy updates and modifications to Sumter School District's foreign language education, instructional services for English learners, promotion, retention and acceleration of students and graduation requirements, among other items.

Currently, under board Chairman Shawn Ragin, only two committees - policy and finance - are active and meet regularly.

The district's superintendent attends all committee meetings.

Policy committee meetings generally last an hour to 90 minutes and like all board-related meetings are open to the public. The meeting will be at the district office, 1345 Wilson Hall Road.

For those not physically attending, the district continues to broadcast meetings live on YouTube.

Anyone wanting to attend the meeting virtually can do so via YouTube Sumter School District Board Meeting and the district's Facebook page, @SumterSCSchools.