SUMTER, S.C. — Sumter School District Superintendent Dr. Penelope Marin-Knox will be leaving at the end of the current school year.
The district held a special called board meeting Tuesday night, where the decision was made. According to the district, following a discussion in executive session between board members and the superintendent, Board Chair Dr. Barbara Jackson announced that Dr. Martin-Knox said she was not seeking an extension to her contract. That means she will serve the district through the end of her contract on June 30, 2022.
"I thoroughly love the children in Sumter School District," Martin-Knox said in a statement released by the district. "The decision not to extend my contract is for personal and professional reasons. My plans after June 30 are to continue to serve children."
The district said she told staff that "during this time we should not lose focus of our primary goal which is serving our children. As we continue to navigate through the impacts of the pandemic, please continue to give your all. It begins and ends with us.”
Dr. Martin-Knox was hired in March of 2019. She had held several positions within the Baltimore, Maryland Public School systems, including as a principal and assistant superintendent. She began her education career as a middle school music teacher.