SUMTER, S.C. — The search for a new Sumter School District superintendent continued Wednesday with focus groups to hear the community's perspective.
This comes after the current superintendent, Dr. Penelope Martin-Knox, announced her decision not to seek a contract extension and the school board voted not to offer her one.
Sumter High School was one of three locations where the focus groups were held before just a handful of attendees.
Tia McDuffie, who has a student in the district, called the meeting "a show," adding that she felt the board would ultimately not accept the feedback.
"I think the board pretty much has their mind made up, what they're going to do, and I think this is just a formality," McDuffie said. "We're in a surplus now. When she came here we were millions of dollars in debt. So, I don't know what more the board could be asking for."
The Sumter School District has had four superintendents, including interims, since 2011.
Dr. John Hilton, a school board member, was in attendance, but declined to comment.
The board is working with the S.C. School Board's Association to conduct the search.
Judy LeGrand, one of the search coordinators with the association, says they've been hosting meetings with community leaders, businesses, and school staff to aid in the search, and have received some interest in the position since opening the search January 27.
"The whole point of these meetings is to gather information so that we can share it with the board and they can use that information to help them as they come up with a list of characteristics and qualities for the next superintendent," LeGrand said. "We advertise the opening and gather applications, we do background checks... and then we present the pool of candidates to the board."
She says they could have a new Superintendent chosen by May.
Those interested in making comments on the process can do so by emailing jlegrand@scsba.org, or completing a survey on the Sumter School District website.