Sumter School District, South Carolina, elections
| Sumter School District |
|---|
 |
| District details |
| School board members: 9 |
| Students: 14,301 (2023-2024) |
| Schools: 25 (2023-2024) |
| Website: Link |
Sumter School District is a school district in South Carolina (Sumter County). During the 2024 school year, 14,301 students attended one of the district's 25 schools.
This page provides information regarding school board members, election rules, finances, academics, policies, and more details about the district.
Elections
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Sumter School District school board, District 8
General runoff election
Special general runoff election for Sumter School District school board, District 8
Phil Leventis and Keith Schultz ran in the special general runoff election for Sumter School District school board, District 8 on February 25, 2025.
Candidate | ||
| Phil Leventis (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Keith Schultz (Nonpartisan) | ||
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 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Sumter School District school board, District 8
General election
Special general election for Sumter School District school board, District 8
Foxy Rae Campbell, Phil Leventis, Tom Montgomery, and Keith Schultz ran in the special general election for Sumter School District school board, District 8 on February 11, 2025.
Candidate | ||
| Foxy Rae Campbell (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Phil Leventis (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Tom Montgomery (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Keith Schultz (Nonpartisan) | ||
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Sumter School District school board, District 1
General election
General election for Sumter School District school board, District 1
Brian L. Alston and Daniel Patrick Palumbo ran in the general election for Sumter School District school board, District 1 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | ||
| Brian L. Alston (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Daniel Patrick Palumbo (Nonpartisan) | ||
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Sumter School District school board, District 2
General election
General election for Sumter School District school board, District 2
Brittany English and Chris Patten ran in the general election for Sumter School District school board, District 2 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | ||
| Brittany English (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Chris Patten (Nonpartisan) | ||
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Sumter School District school board, District 7
General election
General election for Sumter School District school board, District 7
Gloria Rose Lee ran in the general election for Sumter School District school board, District 7 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | ||
| Gloria Rose Lee (Nonpartisan) | ||
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Sumter School District school board, District 9
General election
General election for Sumter School District school board, District 9
Bonnie Disney and Desaray S. Ross ran in the general election for Sumter School District school board, District 9 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | ||
| Bonnie Disney (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Desaray S. Ross (Nonpartisan) | ||
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Sumter School District school board, District 5
General election
General election for Sumter School District school board, District 5
Incumbent Daryl McGhaney won election in the general election for Sumter School District school board, District 5 on November 8, 2016.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ |  | Daryl McGhaney (Nonpartisan) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Sumter School District school board, District 6
General election
General election for Sumter School District school board, District 6
Incumbent Ralph Canty won election in the general election for Sumter School District school board, District 6 on November 8, 2016.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ |  | Ralph Canty (Nonpartisan) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Sumter School District school board, District 7
General election
General election for Sumter School District school board, District 7
Incumbent Barbara Wilson-Jackson won election in the general election for Sumter School District school board, District 7 on November 8, 2016.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | Barbara Wilson-Jackson (Nonpartisan) | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Sumter School District school board, District 1
General election
General election for Sumter School District school board, District 1
Incumbent Linda V. Alston won election in the general election for Sumter School District school board, District 1 on November 4, 2014.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | Linda V. Alston (Nonpartisan) | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Sumter School District school board, District 2
General election
General election for Sumter School District school board, District 2
Incumbent Karen Michalik won election in the general election for Sumter School District school board, District 2 on November 4, 2014.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | Karen Michalik (Nonpartisan) | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Sumter School District school board, District 3
General election
General election for Sumter School District school board, District 3
Incumbent Lucille S. McQuilla won election in the general election for Sumter School District school board, District 3 on November 4, 2014.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | Lucille S. McQuilla (Nonpartisan) | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Sumter School District school board, District 4
General election
General election for Sumter School District school board, District 4
Incumbent Johnny Hilton won election in the general election for Sumter School District school board, District 4 on November 4, 2014.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ |  | Johnny Hilton (Nonpartisan) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
About the district
School board
The Sumter School District consists of nine members serving four-year terms. To find information about school board meetings, click here.
| Name | Seat | Year assumed office | Year term ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Alston | District 1 | ||
| Ralph Canty | District 3 | ||
| Tarah Cousar-Johnson | District 4 | ||
| Bonnie Disney | District 9 | ||
| Brittany English | District 2 | ||
| Gloria Rose Lee | District 7 | ||
| Phil Leventis | District 8 | ||
| Matthew McLeod | District 6 | ||
| Shawn Ragin | District 5 |
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District map
Overlapping state house districts
The table was limited to the lower chamber because it provides the most granularity. State house districts tend to be more numerous and therefore smaller than state senate or U.S. House districts. This provides an impression of the partisan affiliations in the area.
Budget
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[1]
| SOURCE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal: | $42,330,000 | $2,803 | 20% |
| Local: | $58,050,000 | $3,844 | 27% |
| State: | $114,354,000 | $7,573 | 53% |
| Total: | $214,734,000 | $14,220 |
| TYPE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Expenditures: | $197,394,000 | $13,071 | |
| Total Current Expenditures: | $173,771,000 | $11,507 | |
| Instructional Expenditures: | $95,831,000 | $6,346 | 49% |
| Student and Staff Support: | $29,606,152 | $1,960 | 15% |
| Administration: | $18,050,000 | $1,195 | 9% |
| Operations, Food Service, Other: | $30,283,848 | $2,005 | 15% |
| Total Capital Outlay: | $19,753,000 | $1,308 | |
| Construction: | $16,307,000 | $1,079 | |
| Total Non El-Sec Education & Other: | $744,000 | $49 | |
| Interest on Debt: | $2,983,000 | $197 |
Academic performance
Each year, state and local education agencies use tests and other standards to assess student proficiency. Although the data below was published by the U.S. Department of Education, proficiency measurements are established by the states. As a result, proficiency levels are not comparable between different states and year-over-year proficiency levels within a district may not be comparable because states may change their proficiency measurements. To protect student privacy, percentages are reported as ranges for groups of 300 students or fewer. If five or fewer students were included in a data set, the data will display as "PS."[2]
The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-2021 | 18 | 60-64 | 9 | 20-24 | PS | 20-24 | 36 |
| 2018-2019 | 31 | 65-69 | 22 | 33 | <50 | 45-49 | 47 |
| 2017-2018 | 32 | 65-69 | 24 | 36 | <=20 | 40-44 | 46 |
| 2016-2017 | 31 | 60-64 | 23 | 35 | <50 | 40-44 | 44 |
| 2015-2016 | 31 | 55-59 | 24 | 34 | 21-39 | 35-39 | 43 |
| 2014-2015 | 37 | 55-59 | 30 | 39 | >=50 | 40-44 | 49 |
| 2013-2014 | 56 | 80-84 | 47 | 65-69 | 40-59 | 65-69 | 70 |
| 2012-2013 | 62 | 80-84 | 53 | 65-69 | >=80 | 70-74 | 76 |
| 2011-2012 | 65 | 80-84 | 56 | 70-74 | >=50 | 80-84 | 78 |
The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-2021 | 28 | 65-69 | 19 | 25-29 | PS | 35-39 | 44 |
| 2018-2019 | 34 | 60-64 | 25 | 34 | >=50 | 45-49 | 50 |
| 2017-2018 | 31 | 60-64 | 23 | 32 | 40-59 | 35-39 | 45 |
| 2016-2017 | 28 | 55-59 | 21 | 28 | <50 | 35-39 | 41 |
| 2015-2016 | 30 | 55-59 | 23 | 32 | <50 | 35-39 | 43 |
| 2014-2015 | 31 | 50-54 | 24 | 26 | <50 | 30-34 | 43 |
| 2013-2014 | 63 | 80-84 | 55 | 70-74 | 60-79 | 70-74 | 76 |
| 2012-2013 | 68 | 80-84 | 60 | 75-79 | >=80 | 75-79 | 81 |
| 2011-2012 | 67 | 85-89 | 60 | 70-74 | >=50 | 80-84 | 79 |
The following table shows the graduation rate of district students each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-2020 | 81 | >=50 | 81 | 80-89 | PS | 81 | |
| 2018-2019 | 84 | >=50 | 83 | 80-89 | PS | 84 | |
| 2017-2018 | 81 | >=50 | 80 | 80-89 | PS | 81 | |
| 2016-2017 | 84 | >=50 | 83 | 80-89 | PS | 85 | |
| 2015-2016 | 83 | >=50 | 83 | >=80 | >=50 | 84 | |
| 2014-2015 | 85 | >=80 | 84 | 60-79 | PS | 86 | |
| 2013-2014 | 79 | >=80 | 77 | 60-79 | PS | 84 | |
| 2012-2013 | 80 | >=80 | 78 | 60-79 | >=50 | 87 | |
| 2011-2012 | 82 | >=50 | 79 | 40-59 | PS | 86 |
Students
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[3]
| Year | Enrollment | Year-to-year change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-2024 | 14,301 | -3.5 |
| 2022-2023 | 14,800 | -2.0 |
| 2021-2022 | 15,101 | -3.2 |
| 2020-2021 | 15,586 | -4.8 |
| 2019-2020 | 16,336 | -1.5 |
| 2018-2019 | 16,584 | -1.2 |
| 2017-2018 | 16,782 | -2.1 |
| 2016-2017 | 17,136 | -0.3 |
| 2015-2016 | 17,191 | 1.6 |
| 2014-2015 | 16,922 | 0.8 |
| 2013-2014 | 16,794 | 0.0 |
| 2012-2013 | 16,796 | -0.7 |
| 2011-2012 | 16,915 | 0.0 |
| 2010-2011 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2009-2010 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2008-2009 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2007-2008 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2006-2007 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2005-2006 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2004-2005 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2003-2004 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2002-2003 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2001-2002 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2000-2001 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 1999-2000 | 0 | 0.0 |
| RACE | Sumter School District (%) | South Carolina K-12 STUDENTS (%) |
|---|---|---|
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 0.2 | 0.3 |
| Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.3 | 1.9 |
| Black | 63.3 | 31.2 |
| Hispanic | 6.1 | 13.4 |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 0.2 | 0.1 |
| Two or More Races | 3.8 | 6.0 |
| White | 25.0 | 47.2 |
Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.
Staff
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[4]
As of the 2023-2024 school year, Sumter School District had 925.30 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 15.46.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF TEACHERS |
|---|---|
| Prekindergarten: | 19.00 |
| Kindergarten: | 46.00 |
| Elementary: | 588.30 |
| Secondary: | 272.00 |
| Total: | 925.30 |
Sumter School District employed 13.00 district administrators and 78.00 school administrators as of the 2023-2024 school year.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS |
|---|---|
| District Administrators: | 13.00 |
| District Administrative Support: | 101.50 |
| School Administrators: | 78.00 |
| School Administrative Support: | 131.10 |
| TYPE | NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF |
|---|---|
| Instructional Aides: | 308.00 |
| Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors: | 51.60 |
| Total Guidance Counselors: | 44.50 |
| Elementary Guidance Counselors: | 29.50 |
| Secondary Guidance Counselors: | 15.00 |
| Librarians/Media Specialists: | 23.00 |
| Library/Media Support: | 15.00 |
| Student Support Services: | 61.50 |
| Other Support Services: | 426.00 |
Schools
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[5]
About school boards
Education legislation in South Carolina
Bills are monitored by BillTrack50 and sorted by action history.
See also
| School Boards | Education Policy | Local Politics | South Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
- ↑ U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC: EDFacts, "State Assessments in Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics- School Year 2018-19 EDFacts Data Documentation," accessed February 25, 2021
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
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