Dear Editor,

I recently wrote a letter to the editor concerning the consolidation of the schools in Sumter County into one unified district. Thank you for publishing the letter. I have received many responses both oral and written. All but one supported the concept. I must state from the beginning that this idea in no way is meant as a slight to the two school districts, the two school boards or the two superintendents. They are doing their jobs well but it is my contention that it could be done more efficiently both educationally and financially through consolidation.

More food for thought. There are forty-six counties in South Carolina. Twenty-nine of those counties are unified with one school district for the entire county. There are eighty-five school districts in South Carolina. You do the math. That means there are many very small inefficient districts in our state. It is curious to me that many of the school districts currently suing the state over funding are these small inefficient districts.

One school district in each county is not the magic pill to cure all the ills that currently plague public education in our state. I am simply suggesting that this might be one answer among many that needs to be implemented to upgrade our public education. In addition, this is not to suggest in any way that everything is wrong with public education. I spent twenty plus years in the public schools of South Carolina as a teacher, counselor and assistant principal. I can speak unequivocally that the majority of the people working in the public schools are qualified, dedicated, loyal and extremely hard working. Unfortunately they are underpaid and under appreciated. The same can be said for our students. The vast majority are well behaved and ready and willing to learn. We just need to explore and implement avenues to improve what we already have.

Mark D. Sweetman

Retired Educator