Sumter education leaders unite to bridge school-workforce gap

On Thursday evening in Sumter County, nine education leaders sat down together for the first time to talk about a problem that touches nearly everyone in the community: how schools prepare young people for work and life after graduation. The event, called the Sumter State of Education, brought superintendents, academy directors, and higher education representatives into one room under the sponsorship of the Sumter County Chamber of Commerce. Lefford Fate, who works for the city of Sumter, moderated the conversation.

Fate opened with a frame that set the tone for the entire evening. He said that every child in Sumter belongs to all of them—that if a student on the south side of the county is struggling, then the whole community is struggling. He pushed further: if any young person, regardless of race, religion, gender, or background, doesn't believe they can grow, then everyone has failed. It was a statement that moved the conversation beyond institutional interests and toward collective responsibility.

William Wright, superintendent of Sumter School District, was among the panelists. He spoke about the value of seeing what his peers were building and learning from them in return. Some of the people on stage he already knew; others were new colleagues. But the common thread, he said, was simple: they were all working toward the same goal of advancing education's future in the county. Shawn Ragin, who leads Ragin Preparatory Christian Academy, echoed that sentiment. He called the gathering much needed because the community rarely gets to see and hear what different schools are actually doing. "These are our children," he said, "so we all should be working together."

The nine panelists moved through several topics during the event. They discussed how schools adapted to virtual learning, a challenge that had reshaped education across the country. They also tackled diversity, equity, and inclusion—questions about how to serve students whose backgrounds and needs are increasingly varied. Fatima David, who attended the event, said the equity discussion resonated most with her. She explained that communities are changing, and schools need to change with them, meeting the needs of all students, not just some.

Fate returned to a practical point: many people don't know what questions to ask about education. Thursday's event, he suggested, was a beginning. It started a conversation and, with it, momentum. People would now know who to talk to, what to ask, and understand that they have choices in how they shape education in Sumter. Bonnie Disney, a school district board member in attendance, felt the same way. She said the gathering put the community back on track with college and career readiness—the real expectations students need to meet.

Chris Hardy, representing the Chamber of Commerce, underscored why this moment mattered. Education leaders in Sumter rarely get the chance to hear from even one of their counterparts in other institutions, let alone all of them at once. The silos that typically separate public schools, private academies, and colleges had, for one evening, come down. Hardy indicated that this inaugural event would likely be the first of many. If it succeeds in creating an ongoing forum where these leaders can talk, learn from each other, and coordinate their efforts, it could reshape how Sumter approaches the fundamental question of preparing its young people for what comes next.