SUMTER COUNTY, S.C. — A Sumter County School District board seat is among several local races that residents will decide on during the November election.
According to the Sumter County school district's website, the county currently has 14 elementary schools, six middle schools and three high schools.
Daniel Palumbo and Brian Alston-Carter hope to be seated on the school district's board.
Palumbo owns a local business, Kona Ice, and serves on the school board. Alston-Carter, a Sumter native, garnered experience working at the state house and several state agencies.
Both say tackling educational needs, including plans to help support teachers facing common challenges like staffing, absenteeism and youth engagement, is at the top of the list.
Seven schools in the district are performing in the bottom 5% of the state and are designated as comprehensive support and priority schools (CSI).
News19 asked both candidates how they would tackle the issue and bring the failing schools up to state standards. Palumbo says he wants to tackle this concern with new plans.
“Those are a couple of the things that I want to look at absenteeism; the other things are new schools," he said. "I’m on the board for the new master plan is within the next couple of years, we can get passed where we can consolidate schools and get brand new schools to save the taxpayer money."
Brian Alston-Carter, however, believes funding plays a key role in trying to solve the issue.
“It's about getting the community to understand that the school district does need funding that we have to go to county council and advocate for a millage increase so we are able to retain and attract the most highly qualified educators but that heavy emphasis on early childhood education is important and looking at how to collaborate with childhood centers locally."
Both were also asked about their passion for education and vision for the school district's future if voters choose them to fill the open seat.
“We have to prepare our kids to be global. We need to be able to compete not with kids that are in the Sumter community or not just in the Midlands, but globally and internationally as we always talk about being college and career ready, that should be for every child," said Carter. "I think we can start introducing them at the elementary school level to career pathways – when we talk about high school i think we need to do a better job of exposing kids to opportunities at our career and technical centers.”
On the other hand, Palumbo said he believes in incorporating more disciplinary actions to help students.
“For example, I want to bring back Saturday school and that would be more for disciplinary which I want a teacher in there if they are coming into school for disciplinary problems, I want a teacher to teach them so they are there for a reason to get educated not just because you are in trouble.”
Early voting is happening right now and ends on Nov. 2.