After vetting six search firms, the SSC Board hired Building Excellent Schools (BES), a national nonprofit talent search & development organization committed to improving the academic achievement of underserved students in the nation’s most vulnerable geographic areas, to lead a nation-wide search for its Founding Executive Director. BES has a proven track record of successful leadership development in both identifying excellent leaders and training and supporting those leaders to take on the urgent task of leading excellent schools. The Board worked closely with BES to design a rigorous recruitment process that included going through a five-stage process (an application, several essays, two phone interviews, and an in-person interview). Over the course of seven weeks, the recruitment efforts yielded 77 applications. BES presented its slate of finalist candidates to the Board in a special called meeting on June 4, 2020. Learn more, June 4 Press Release.

Below is a statement from SSC Planning Committee  on our recent approval from South Carolina Public Charter School District in  the 2019-20 Application Cycle. Approval Statement from SSC Board

As a result of being formally approved to open in the Fall of 2021 as Sumter’s first tuition-free public charter school by the SC Public Charter School District, the SSC Planning Committee held an organizational meeting on May 18, 2020 to formally transition to a Founding Board of Directors. A meeting agenda was posted Friday morning via the school’s website and social media platforms. During the meeting, updates were shared regarding the board’s progress in implementing Next Steps, its 100-day post-authorization action plan. The plan includes six goals that span the following areas: the hiring of an executive director, the facility approval process, grant funding, community awareness, marketing & branding, and building board capacity. Learn more, June 2 Press Release.

Our board has adopted six goals as part of its “Next Steps” action plan, Launch Planning & Implementation Year.

The story, mission and model of Sumter STEAM Charter has been uniquely shaped by the input of so many — making it truly a community school. We simply want to say THANK YOU as we've received approval from the SC Public Charter School District . We are appreciative of every individual who helped us to reach this important milestone. We cannot wait to to serve the families of Sumter!

In a public hearing held on Thursday, April 16, the South Carolina Public Charter School District Board of Trustees unanimously approved the application to establish Sumter's first tuition-free public charter school - Sumter STEAM Charter. This is the final step in the state district's authorization process. We cannot wait to serve the families and community of Sumter with an additional high-quality public education option.

Do you want to know more about our story, mission and model? Join us at one our upcoming community information meetings. #communitymeetings #updates #getconnected

We’re picking up steam at Sumter STEAM Charter. Since officially forming in September 2019, our committee has been hard at work sharing our story, mission, and model for what will be, if approved, Sumter’s first tuition-free, public charter school. As we move forward in quest to change the narrative about what is possible for the children of Sumter County, here are a few important updates to share with you. Our planning committee has been regularly meeting since September, with the official incorporation of Sumter STEAM Charter taking place in October. We have conducted dozens of deep-dive research visits into other public charter schools across several states. Our three-month long “Hopes and Dreams Listening Tour” concluded in December 2019 with extensive outreach that included: a detailed community needs assessment, 100+ presentations of our charter school proposal, participation in various community activities, focus groups, and community awareness sessions. We currently have six sub-committees that are working on tasks including community outreach/support, curriculum & instruction, operations, policy, finance, and facilities. We officially submitted our comprehensive charter application to the SC Department of Education and SC Public Charter School District that includes a 155 page narrative and 32 appendices totaling over 1,000 pages outlining our “roadmap to excellence.” Our website went live on February 10. Make sure to sign up for updates at the bottom of the homepage. Here are some of our next steps: We are excited to move forward in the authorization process, which will take place through a tiered-process over the course of the next several months and culminate by May 1st with either the approval or denial of our charter request. Our planning committee is eagerly preparing for the next steps in sharing our story, mission, and model with our chosen charter authorizers. We are also working to complete our 501(c)3 application for federal tax exemption status. Stay connected with us on social media. Instagram - @steamcharter4sumter Facebook - @sumtersteamcharterschool Twitter – @Charter4Sumter Additional awareness sessions can be scheduled with our planning committee by emailing your requested information to info@sumtersteamcharter.org. Upcoming Community Events for SSC February 18 – Presentation to Palmetto Optimist Club of Sumter February 20 – Presentation to ADBC Mothers of Pre-Schoolers March 7 – Info Booth at Reading in the Park Event (Memorial Park, 1-4 p.m.)

Do you want to know more about our story, mission and model? Join us at one our upcoming community information meetings. #communitymeetings #updates #getconnected