Sumter school board maintains public on committees in 6-3 vote

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After an extended public participation period with a board room over-flowing with school bus drivers and food-service workers who expressed concerns about pay, Sumter School District’s Board of Trustees debated its committee system following a two-hour executive session Monday night.

At about 9:45 p.m., following 20 minutes of open discussion on the matter, the trustees voted 6-3 to keep public members on its standing committees. That proposal passed first reading in the spring and included committee charters written by Canty, though other board members contributed their own ideas on how the board’s committee system should be composed.

Currently, public members only serve on the board’s Finance Committee. After Monday’s vote, the board will add other members of the public to the board’s two other standing committees – Facilities and Policy.

Those public members are to be subject-matter experts from the Sumter community in their respective fields, whether finance, facilities or policy. A new Citizens Advisory Committee, composed of numerous community members, will also be created and likely meet quarterly with board members. The charters will still have some fine-tuning necessary, according to Policy Committee Chairman the Rev. Daryl McGhaney.

Trustees voting in favor included Canty, McGhaney, Brian Alston, Johnny Hilton, Barbara Jackson and Shawn Ragin. Board members voting against were Frank Baker, Matthew “Mac” McLeod and Sherril Ray.

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Read Wednesday's edition of The Sumter Item for a complete story.