School board guaranteed 5 new members; 2 more incumbents face runoffs Nov. 22 and total could reach 7

Some change is coming to the Sumter school board after all nine seats were up for election this year.

Following Tuesday's election, the nine-member Board of Trustees is guaranteed to have five new faces come January when new members are sworn into office and possibly up to seven, given upcoming runoffs.

Eight incumbents decided to run in the midterm election, and four are already out. Those include Johnny Hilton (District 3), Daryl McGhaney (District 4), Gloria Lee (District 7) and Sherril Ray (District 8). Two more face runoff elections on Nov. 22 after no one in those races earned more than 50% of the public's vote. Those are Brian Alston (District 1) and Frank Baker (District 2).

Two incumbents won races outright in Shawn Ragin (District 5) and Matthew "Mac" McLeod (District 6).

On the topic of the split board related to former Superintendent Penelope Martin-Knox and the often-discussed 5-4 surprise vote to remove her from her post four months early in February, it seemed to impact most of those trustees who voted for that dismissal.

McGhaney, who made the surprise motion at the conclusion of the Feb. 28 board meeting at Manchester Elementary School, is off the board after next month. Among other voters for the motion, Ray and Hilton also lost Tuesday, and Baker finished a close second in his race and will be in a runoff against Brittany English. Only McLeod seemed to escape any consequences, winning his race with 56.5% of the total vote.

However, those on the Martin-Knox side of that board tussle this year did not necessarily smoothly run through their races. Of those three incumbents, only Ragin won outright in his race with 67.6% of the vote. Alston faces a runoff in District 1, and Lee lost in a fairly close race in the new District 7 to newcomer Shery Smith. The other Martin-Knox supporter, board Chairwoman Barbara Jackson, decided to not seek re-election.

Regarding the upcoming runoff, all precincts in the runoff districts will be open Nov. 22 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and The Sumter Item will provide everything the public needs to know regarding the runoff elections soon as it gets information from the Sumter County Voter Registration and Elections Office. There will be the opportunity for early voting and absentee voting, according to the local office.