One of Sumter County’s three K-8 schools will close at the end of the fall semester, marking the district’s first major change under state intervention.

Officials recently approved a motion to close Kinterbish Junior High School on Dec. 19 and send students to York West End Junior High. The closure will leave the district, which now serves less than 1,000 students, with two K-8 schools and one high school.

The district plans to transfer all Kinterbish staff to York West End, officials said.

The board was split on a vote to approve the closure, which was recommended by the state’s intervention team, but it was later approved by the state superintendent.

The closure follows an earlier transfer of middle-grade students from Kinterbish to York West End, a K-8 school about 9 miles away, to address staff shortages and declining enrollment.

Eleanor James, one of three board members who voted for the consolidation, said the plan would allow the district to fund more programs – like a football team and potentially a band – that aren’t currently offered at the schools, and help them spread instructional resources more evenly.

“The money that you’d put into Kinterbish, you can take that and put it into West End and make it better,” she said.

Since the first transfer of students, some former Kinterbish parents have complained about the quality of instruction at York West End, as well as recent water shutoffs caused by local utilities issues.

Kinterbish Junior High School received an overall score of 73, a “C” grade, on its 2021-2022 federal report card. York West End Junior High School scored a 56, an “F” grade.

Archie Lehall Jr., a local grandparent, held a recent community meeting about changes in the district. He said he’d like to see Kinterbish become a magnet school for elementary students, and proposed consolidating grades at other buildings instead.

“Are we going to meet with the community?” Jeanette Brassfield-Payne, the board president, asked Superintendent Marcy Burroughs before Tuesday’s vote. “Have you met with the teachers and their employees? Or are we just going to shut it down and don’t give them any input?”

Burroughs said she had scheduled meetings with principals and school staff throughout the week, and was working to find a time to meet with community members to discuss the transition.

‘Right-sizing’

In a recent interview with AL.com, State Superintendent Eric Mackey said consolidations may be necessary to address population declines and ongoing facilities needs in the district.

“I think it can be done, but I think there’s gonna still be some pain points,” he told AL.com in October. “And part of that is going to be right–sizing facilities.”

Sumter County schools have struggled for years with declining enrollment, outdated facilities and low achievement among students. The district’s inability to complete a required yearly audit of their finances forced a state takeover in August, officials said.

Systemwide, the student population at the traditional public schools has decreased by about 45% in the past decade, partly due to the creation of a new charter school in the district.

From the 2014-15 to the 2023-24 school year, enrollment at Kinterbish dropped from 173 to 65 students, according to state data. In the same time span, enrollment at York West End also dropped, from 250 to 224 students.

And both schools are in dire need of repairs, a recent facilities assessment found.

The 2021 study uncovered dilapidated buildings, inaccessible walkways and major drainage and sewage issues at York West End, among other safety hazards. Architects also found poor plumbing, flooring and roofing conditions at Kinterbish.

York West End has about 76,000 square feet of floor area, compared to 48,000 square feet at Kinterbish, according to the assessment. Both buildings, Mackey said, were “underutilized” and had several unoccupied classrooms.

“It’s deciding what we need as far as space, and then which ones do we really need to improve,” he said.

Next steps

Last month, officials said it would take at least $10 million to address all of the district’s facilities needs, including at least $400,000 in repairs at York West End. Kinterbish also would have required $400,000 in repairs, officials said.

At York West End, staff are currently in the process of deep cleaning the school, painting the hallways and classrooms, replacing ceiling tiles, installing heating and A/C units and replacing damaged floor tiles, Burroughs said. The district also plans to pave a new bus route behind the building to avoid traffic backups on the highway.

A new achievement program, funded in part by Rep. Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, also began at York West End last month.

Head Start services will remain at Kinterbish Junior High until the end of the school year. Construction on a roof project at Kinterbish will also continue, Burroughs said.

In the meantime, the district is in the process of hiring a moving company and purchasing boxes for teachers and other staff to transition to the new school.

Across the district, Burroughs said several disciplinary measures have been added, including after school detention, Saturday detention, an intervention program at the high school and an alternative school housed at Livingston Junior High.

Staff are also working to install a sprinkler and security system at Sumter Central High.

The board will meet again on Dec. 12.