LIVINGSTON-New Sumter County School Superintendent Dr. Fred Primm Jr. has big plans of a joint venture with the Sumter County Commission, Primm came before the commission Monday to let them know he is ready to form a partnership and see the community and schools thrive. The first issue the board and commission discussed was the renewal of a one-cent sales tax that benefited county schools. The tax had been in place for the last two years, but expired on June 30.

Sumter County School Board president Bertha Rogers asked the commission to consider reinstating the tax in the future.

“We would like to see the county renew this,” Rogers said. “We had a lot of things in the works and a lot going on. I think this would be a tremendous boost to us if we could renew it. We just hope you would consider it.”

Primm said his first priority was to get everyone on the same page.

“I just want to get a collaboration with the Board of Education and the commission,” Primm said. “I think if we work together it would be beneficial for both of us. I want to get a relationship going.”

Primm said he planned to attend meetings so that everyone’s game plan could work off each other’s ideas.

“I plan to come here on a regular basis to keep up to date with how things are going,” Primm said. “If I know what is going on in the county I can better facilitate what we can do over at the school board. I am ready to make partnerships because that is the only way it is going to work.”

Losing the tax was a blow to the school board. However, Primm said they could overcome it with the support of the community.

“The money is very important, we know that,” Primm said. “But I think the support is also very important also. I believe that school districts thrive with the support of the town and if we don’t have a good school district it is going to be hard for the area to get revenue.

Want to be a major player in the county.”

Commission Chairman Isaac Bonner agreed with Primm. Bonner said they planned to do all they could to help local schools thrive.

“We also look forward to forming a relationship with the Board of Education,” Bonner said. “This board in the past has always been supportive of public education and now we are at the point where we feel obligated to have some accountability for our schools.”