Join me as we celebrate our returning faculty and staff while embracing the new members to the Sumter County Schools family. I hope that your summer break was safe, restful, and full of joyful moments with family and friends.

As we embark upon this new era in public education, the challenge to establish a path towards excellence has never been more important. Through strategic planning, our goal areas of Student Achievement and Success, Supportive Culture and Positive Climate, Stakeholder Engagement and Communication, and Organizational and Operational Effectiveness will allow us to achieve our newly developed vision and mission for Sumter County Schools.

Over the next five years, we aim to graduate all students empowered to be competitive in a global society. We will provide our students with an equitable education, equipped with the 21st century skills through transformational learning experiences. In doing so, we strive to build rural prosperity through our educational system.

It is my firm belief that we have the leaders, faculty, staff, parents, and community to achieve our goals. You have already demonstrated the desire, passion, and commitment to accomplish our vision and mission through our summer preparations. I have witnessed this firsthand this summer with the efforts of our transportation, maintenance, nutrition, technology, human resources, teaching and learning, finance departments, school office and custodial staffs, parents, and community supporters. Collectively, we will transform the culture, climate, facilities, educational learning experiences, and relationships between our school system, our parents/guardians, and our community. I have full confidence that together, we will make a positive difference in the lives of our students, this community, and the region.

Moreover, our Board of Education members are committed to moving our district to its highest heights ever! They have demonstrated unyielding efforts to ensure that our schools, faculty, and staff have the resource and support necessary to reach those heights.

The 2023-2024 school year is here! Know that you have what it takes to be great. You are excellent in your respective roles. We will not allow anything to keep us from helping our students have the hope and opportunities to live out their dreams.We are and always will be Sumter Strong!

Thanks in advance,

Mr. Walter Knighton, Ed.S.