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SECOND FRONT THE ITEM
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2013 Contact the newsroom at 803-774-1226 or e-mail news@theitem.com
Mary Lee Dinkins charter revoked FROM STAFF REPORTS The last day of operations for Mary L. Dinkins Higher Learning Academy, commonly called MLD, will be Friday, according to a Tuesday news release from the S.C. Public Charter School District. “We are pleased that last year’s revocation decision by the Board of Trustees of the District has been upheld upon review by the court,” said Wayne Brazell, superintendent of the statewide district. “Doing what is best for the students has been central to our approach, every step of the way. Consistent with that approach is not waiting to close the school. “The students will be better suited in a different learning environment, and we are communicating with the Lee County School District and the Sumter School District to let them know that these students should be reporting to schools in those communities or in some other organized school setting of their parents’ choice
STATE BRIEF
as of Monday, March 18, 2013.” Officials with MLD state the school serves 145 students ranging from kindergarten through eighth grade, but the exact number of students is not clear, the release states. Efforts to reach officials with the academy were not successful by press time. As a result of Administrative Law Judge Shirley Robinson’s March 1 ruling supporting the decision to revoke the academy’s charter nearly a year ago, the district stopped disbursing money to the school immediately. “Accountability to the public is one of the fundamental characteristics of public charter schools,” said Clay Eaton, director of public relations and fund raising. “As the authorizing office with oversight requirements, it is the responsibility of the South Carolina Public Charter School District to close a charter school when closure is warranted.” MLD has had a number of challenges since its inception. The Lee
County School District originally denied the school’s charter in June 2005 but was forced to accept the academy when the State Board of Education overturned the local board’s decision. An order from the S.C. Supreme Court forced the Lee County School District to allow MLD to open in September 2005. In 2009, the academy filed a lawsuit against the district stating it did not receive required funding. In May 2010, academy officials announced they were no longer affiliated with the Lee County School District and were part of the state charter school district, under a probationary status. Meanwhile, the charter school continued to clash with the Lee district on matters of transportation and the use of the Dennis Intermediate School building, which was part of the settlement of the 2009 lawsuit. Following a routine review of MLD’s academic records for 2011 and 2012, officials of the state char-
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From Associated Press reports
BLOOD DRIVE AT SCOTT’S BRANCH
Budget cuts claim Charleston Air Expo CHARLESTON — The automatic federal budget cuts have eliminated an airshow scheduled over Charleston Harbor later this year. Joint Base Charleston has announced that the 2013 Air Expo planned in June will not be held. The event was to feature the Air Force’s Thunderbirds air team flying over the city’s waterfront.
CORRECTION
ter school district noted serious irregularities at the school, such as students receiving grades for classes not being offered, the release states. The finding prompted additional analysis by personnel at the district as well as the State Law Enforcement Division, which revealed other significant deficiencies at the school ranging from financial issues to system-wide academic shortcomings. The state charter school district subsequently voted on March 8, 2012, to revoke the academy’s charter effective at the end of the 2011-12 school year. However, the school appealed to the South Carolina Administrative Law Court, which entitled MLD to a stay of the revocation pending the resolution of the appeal. The school was located in Bishopville in Lee County but moved in 2012 to Sumter County without permission from the state charter school district, which was an additional violation of the school’s charter agreement, the release states.
BY BRADEN BUNCH bbunch@theitem.com
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The Sumter County Historical Society invites the public to a special meeting recognizing winners of the 11th annual Myrtis Osteen Essay Contest at 3 p.m. Sunday in the Parish Hall of The Church of the Holy Comforter. The time was incorrectly given in Tuesday’s edition.
PHOTO PROVIDED
Scott’s Branch High School senior Alant’e Thompson gives blood March 5 at a blood drive hosted by the school’s JROTC and the American Red Cross.
Man decides against representing himself in shooting deaths trial BY ROBERT J. BAKER bbaker@theitem.com BISHOPVILLE — LeQuint Johnson’s second trial on murder and armed robbery charges began Tuesday at the Lee County Courthouse with a circuit court judge allowing the 25-yearold to represent himself. But after 3rd Circuit Assistant Solicitor Paul E. Fata presented four witnesses in his quest to convict Johnson for the 2004 shooting deaths of 27-year-old Tyrone Dinkins and 54-year-old Joseph “Bud” Reames, Johnson reversed course. “Sir, I would like to have Mr. (Charles) Brooks back as my attorney (of record),” Johnson told 3rd Circuit Judge George C. James, who will preside this week over Johnson’s trial. Johnson was convicted of two counts of murder and one count each of armed robbery and possession of a weapon during a vi-
Sumter school board discusses enrollment, committee makeup
olent crime in 2007. The two consecutive life sentences he received were vacated by the state Supreme Court in 2010. The court wrote in an opinion that a sheriff’s investigator’s testimony about a conversation with one of Johnson’s co-defendants effectively told the jury in the first trial that the statement named Johnson as one of Dinkins’ and Reames’ killers. It ruled the statements violated hearsay rules as well as Johnson’s Sixth Amendment rights. Dinkins and Reames were found shot to death about 6:30 a.m. Nov. 17, 2004, just off S.C. 154 on a dirt cul-de-sac just past Liberty Hill Baptist Church, according to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. Witnesses testified Tuesday that Dinkins was found lying outside his white Cadillac near the driver’s side, and Reames was inside the vehicle. The vehicle’s headlights were on, and its
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engine was running. Dinkins had been shot eight times in the head and body, while Reames was shot once in the head and once in the body. During the defense’s opening arguments, Johnson — representing himself at that point — asked the current jury to pay attention. “This is my life, and I want you to think about your life in another (12 people’s) hands,” he said. In trying to convince James that he was the best person to represent his own legal interests, Johnson told James he wasn’t “playing around.” “I’ve already lost my life once,” he said. “I’m not about to lose it again.” Johnson’s trial resumes at 9:30 a.m. today at the Lee County Courthouse. Reach Robert J. Baker at (803) 774-1211.
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Social Security numbers will not be needed to register children within Sumter School District if a change to the district’s policies receives final approval, the Sumter School District Board of Trustees announced Monday night. The proposal — which received unanimous initial approval at the board’s meeting before a crowd of about 125 people at Bates Middle School on Monday — comes as an assurance that the district’s policies do not violate federal guidelines, according to documents provided to the board. While the current version of the district’s enrollment policy does not specifically require a Social Security number or card be presented at the time of enrollment, the proposed amendment makes it clear within the policy that this form of identification is not needed. Along with the proposed change to the admissions policy, the board’s Policy and Procedures Committee — consisting of trustees the Rev. Ralph Canty, Karen Michalik and the Rev. Daryl McGhaney — proposed the creation of advisory positions to help guide future decisions. According to the committee’s proposal, one representative from each of the district’s schools — consisting of administrators, teachers, students and parents — would assist the threeperson committee. “The whole idea is to
involve as many people as we can in the processing of our policies and our procedures,” Canty said. The advisory panels do not give these members official voting capabilities, but Canty said they would help guide the committee in changes the school community thinks are necessary. In creation of the advisory panel, the district office is expected to inform each school of the positions open on the panel, with nominations expected to come from each school’s principal. In other action, the trustees: • Recognized Joni Brown, former Bates Middle School band director, for being appointed to the Band Director Association’s Hall of Fame. • Presented Trevor Ivey a ring as part of his District Teacher of the Year recognition. • Announced Lemira Elementary School, Ebenezer Middle School, Lakewood High School, the Academic Learning Center and the Sumter County Adult Education Center were the winners of the Clean and Safe Schools competition. • Received their annual governance training program concerning Early Head Start. • Announced that so far, graduating seniors this year have earned about $16 million in scholarships, and three students have been named finalists for Gates Millennium scholarships. Contact Braden Bunch at (803) 7741201.
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