Letter: Sumter NAACP questions potential 'partnership' of Sumter district, charter school and Wilson Hall

January 15, 2024

Dr. Ralph Canty, chairman

Sumter School Board of Trustees

1345 Wilson Hall Road

Sumter, South Carolina 29150

As we commemorate yet another Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and look back on this country's long history of racial, social and economic oppression, we are taking this opportunity to make it clear that we will not allow our leaders, in this case, Superintendent William T. Wright Jr., to be brow beaten, handcuffed and hung from a tree. Rest assured, the era of Jim Crow and black codes will not rear their ugly head under our watch. While the conjuring of those imageries and oppressive tactics may seem extremely hard, even unimaginable, now that we have your attention, we will lay out the basis for an all out call to action to eradicate their resurrection.

While there have been many whispers and rumors of exactly what is to come, it is our understanding that there is a three-page document that outlines the merger of the Sumter School District, Liberty STEAM Charter (LSC) and Wilson Hall. The partnership or "handcuffs" involves the closing of rural schools and a K-4 literacy initiative partnership with LSC and Wilson Hall. These measures are ultimately intended to position LSC to apply for, establish and head a technical high school in Sumter County. The unauthorized and unpoliced document was developed in collaboration between the respective chairpersons of each entity, notably without any input, knowledge, agreement or consent from Superintendent Wright.

Moreover, there has been no public discussion, input or agreement.

Superintendent Wright is part of a long line of former superintendents who have been undermined and set up for failure from day one. The process of systematically dismantling and then merging former School Districts 2 and 17 was the first step towards creating a quasi-public charter district in Sumter County. Any potential merits of the envisioned educational structure are forever eroded due to the clandestine maneuvers to place the desire of a specific sector or individuals over the needs of the entire community, particularly the vast rural areas of Sumter County and even more specifically economically and socially disadvantaged families and children of color.

Since the merger of Sumter's school districts, the consolidated district has been denied critical resources for success through the withholding of critical millage increases. The district has not received a full millage increase since 2016. Meanwhile, the district continues to concentrate resources, personnel, advanced academic and extracurricular programs in select city schools to the detriment of outlying schools. Since the merger in 2011 up until this very date the district has refused to implement realignment measures to balance inequities across the district. On the other hand, the Sumter legislative delegation moved swiftly and strategically to redraw school board lines, condensing and increasing the numbers of seats from seven to nine.

We are quite aware of the millage debacle that essentially ended the tenure of former Superintendent Dr. Penelope Martin-Knox. Apparently, this same group has issued an all-out moratorium on the district's freedom to request any millage increase, attempting to intimidate, "brow beat" Dr. Wright to adopt their stance or risk being "hung from a tree," in this case meaning, not extending his contract until he fully demonstrates support and compliance for the established agenda.

We have attached a Freedom of Information request for a copy of the document described above, as well as all documents related to any potential partnerships, associations, mergers, agreements of any nature or sort, by or between the Sumter School District, Liberty STEAM Charter and/or Wilson Hall. We expect full compliance by all members of the Board of Trustees to produce the requested documentation as well as their public commitment to ensure Superintendent Wright is not in any way encumbered, harassed, intimidated or retaliated against in fulfilling the duties and responsibilities he has been entrusted.

Superintendent Wright's contract should be immediately extended per the 18-month and 12-month extension provisions. His performance and commitment to putting the needs of students, teachers and staff first is clear and reflected in the raise and annuity payment awarded by the Board of Trustees following his evaluation. However, withholding the extension as contractually designated and accepted is counterproductive and identical to the tactics employed by others described herein to force compliance with agendas that are not clearly aligned and publicly sanctioned to serve the best interests of students, teachers, staff and indeed the entire Sumter community.

Moving forward the Sumter Branch NAACP will be laser focused on this and other matters that impede the growth and development of Sumter County. Any Board of Trustee member that fails to demonstrate a clear commitment to ensuring public education in Sumter County is their number one objective will be challenged and targeted by the community for replacement at election time. Unlike the tactics employed to solicit compliance described here that are counter intuitive to the success of the Sumter School District, operationalizing and exercising our right to vote and secure fair representation is not a threat but a call to duty to ensure equal protection for all.

This correspondence is respectfully submitted by the Sumter Branch NAACP Executive Committee.

ELIZABETH KILGORE

President, Sumter Branch NAACP

CC: Sumter School Board of Trustees, Sumter Branch NAACP Executive Committee, Superintendent William T. Wright Jr. , Sumter County Council, Sumter City Council