STATE OF ALABAMA

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Eric G. Mackey, Ed.D.

State Superintendent of Education

July 13, 2023

Alabama
State Board
of Education

Mrs. Jeanette Brassfield-Payne, Chairman

Governor Kay Ivey
Sumter County Board of Education
President
Post Office Box 10
Livingston, AL 35470

Dear Mrs. Brassfield-Payne:

Jackie Zeigler
District I

Re: Request to Show Cause

Tracie West
District II
Vice President
I am sure you share my vision of a prosperous Sumter County Board of Education (SCBOE)
where students are the top priority. I am also mindful of the significant work many dedicated
Stephanie Bell
teachers, staff, administrators, parents, and volunteers have provided the Sumter County
District III School System over the years. I understand and appreciate their valuable commitment.

Nevertheless, I have had ongoing concerns regarding the Sumter County School System.
Yvette M. Richardson, Ed.D.
District IV Even though my team has maintained communications with the system over the past several
weeks, my concerns only increased after a site personnel team from the Alabama State
Department of Education (ALSDE) visited the system to assess and evaluate its operations
Tonya S. Chestnut, Ed.D.
District V
and revealed information for which the district must address.
President Pro Tem

Concerns with Sumter County Schools

Marie Manning
District VI With those considerations in mind, the Educational Accountability and Intervention Act of
2013 (§§ 16-6E-1 through -7, Ala. Code 1975) authorizes and compels me, as State
Superintendent of Education, to specify and convey any and all concerns regarding Sumter
Belinda McRae
District VII County Schools, identify steps the SCBOE must take to rectify those concerns, and provide
a reasonable timetable for the SCBOE to complete those steps, all of which I have outlined
below.
Wayne Reynolds, Ed.D.
District VIII
A. Personnel

Eric G. Mackey, Ed.D.
Secretary and
Executive Officer
I am concerned that the SCBOE has failed to fill critical administrative and teacher positions,
including a qualified permanent Chief Financial School Officer as required under
§ 16-13A-4, Ala. Code 1975, of the School Fiscal Accountability Act (“The Act”). Because
the SCBOE has failed to meet that requirement, it is noncompliant with the Act and may be
subject to penalties outlined in § 16-13A-10.

GORDON PERSONS BUILDING • P.O. BOX 302101 • MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA 36130-2101 • TELEPHONE (334) 694-4900 • WEBSITE: www.alabamaachieves.org
Mrs. Jeanette Brassfield-Payne, Chairman
Page 2
July 13, 2023

Also concerning is that our site visit personnel found that the SCBOE made no necessary
personnel changes at the end of the 2022-2023 school year to factor in the streamlining of
schools in the district. There is also no clarity that the SCBOE is properly coding personnel
and/or goods and services to ESSER. Finally, the SCBOE appears to have no strategic plan
on if or how the 14 people employed with ESSER II funds will transition when those funds
expire.

Another issue highlighted by our site personnel was that the school system had to hire
additional teachers for the smaller schools, as there were not enough units for each
grade/class to have a teacher, which is unacceptable.

B. Facilities

I am especially bothered about what is clearly a dilapidation of school facilities in the Sumter
County School System. There are several closed, unused facilities due to what appears to
be poor maintenance or neglect.

An assessment conducted in November 2021 revealed several areas of dilapidation, issues

of safety, and lack of general maintenance. While the SCBOE is currently spending funds
on renovations, there still appears to be no plan in place to address long-term maintenance
of the facilities. The SCBOE was previously presented with two facilities plans for
consideration, but they declined to review either plan, ultimately leaving the school system
with no facilities plan.

C. Financial

Section 16-13A-1(1), (2), and (4), Ala. Code 1975, requires the SCBOE to submit regular
reconciliations of its bank statements, a fixed assets inventory, and a review of monthly
revenues and expenditures. The SCBOE either did not submit these documents or did not
submit them in a timely manner.

Further, § 16-13A-6, Ala. Code 1975, requires school boards to implement a standardized
financial accounting program to collect information and submit certain reports required
under this statute. The SCBOE’s insufficient and/or missing records or non-performance of
Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, in violation of that Code section, means the
SCBOE was unable to conduct timely audits with the Department of Examiners of Public
Accounts in violation of § 16-13A-7, Ala. Code 1975.

D. Impact on Students

Ultimately, our greatest concern is that high-quality educational opportunities are afforded
to all students in the Sumter County School System. I am impressed with your Board’s recent
decision to employ a superintendent, and I am confident that working together with the
Board and a highly qualified Chief School Financial Officer, she can lead the system to
Mrs. Jeanette Brassfield-Payne, Chairman
Page 3
July 13, 2023

achieve great things. However, until the issues outlined in this letter are resolved, I am
concerned that the superintendent will not be able to fulfill her commitment to enhance
educational opportunities and improve overall student achievement. Sumter County’s most
recent State Report Card indicates a grade of “C.” Nevertheless, there are serious
deficiencies such as the percentage of students completing high school with a College or
Career Readiness Indicator and the percentage of rising third graders not reading on grade
level.

Steps Required to Correct Deficiencies

The SCBOE must remedy these deficiencies and provide the ALSDE with (a) an adequate
plan to correct the deficiencies, (b) proof of substantial improvement, and (c) a timetable for
completing the plan to meet the following objectives:

1. Developing an efficient facilities plan that ensures a safe and supportive learning
environment.
2. Hiring a permanent Chief School Financial Officer.
3. Implementing fiscal procedures to bring the SCBOE into compliance with Generally
Accepted Accounting Principles and the budgeting, accountability (including
submitting an adequate budget with required reserves), and reporting procedures
required under the School Fiscal Accountability Act.

Timetable for Completing Corrective Measures

Based on the information outlined herein, the SCBOE must make it a priority to take
demonstrable steps toward remedying these deficiencies. Specifically, your plan must
provide for the method(s) by which the SCBOE will correct these deficiencies as soon as
practicable but, as to those deficiencies for which gradual progress would be expected, your
plan must provide for the completion of all corrective measures.

Procedural Information

As mandated by Alabama law, the SCBOE must provide a written response to this notice
within 21 days of issuance. In your response, you may indicate your Board agrees with
and/or will not challenge a proposed intervention, offer reasons why intervention is
unwarranted, or, alternatively, present a specific plan and timetable for correcting the
deficiencies identified in this notice.

Be advised that if I evaluate your written response and determine, in my judgment, that it is
inadequate, I shall promptly request authorization from the Alabama State Board of
Education (SBOE) to intervene in the operations of the Sumter County School System as
provided by law. If I make that request, the SCBOE will be given an opportunity to
demonstrate in writing why such action is unwarranted or should not be approved, and to
appear before the SBOE for such purpose before the SBOE takes a vote.
Mrs. Jeanette Brassfield-Payne, Chairman
Page 4
July 13, 2023

I want to personally thank you, the entire SCBOE, and the Sumter County community for
your spirit of collaboration in advance. Please know your cooperation is encouraged and
appreciated. We want to assist you in pursuing excellence, service, and commitment to all
the students in the Sumter County School System. Together, I believe we can make a
difference.

If you have any questions about this notice or the procedure involved, please contact my
office at 334-696-4902.

Sincerely,

Eric G. Mackey
State Superintendent of Education

EGM/JJS/RE