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Highlands Today

Workshop On Choosing School Superintendents Set For Today

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By MARC VALERO | Highlands Today

Published: January 31, 2008

SEBRING — The public can learn more about the pros and cons of an elected versus appointed superintendent of schools today at a 6 p.m. workshop in the Highlands County Commission Chambers.
The public's opinion on the issue will also be heard by the School Board.

County Supervisor of Elections Joe Campbell has been invited to speak on the election process in changing to an appointed superintendent. If Campbell is attending to matters with the recent election, School Board Attorney John McClure will cover the process in making the change.

"I am still open," on the issue, School Board Member Donna Howerton said Wednesday. "I have run into individuals throughout the community who are open to looking at this."

Howerton summarized that some have said the county has been fortunate to have had good superintendents, but as the district grows and the budget increases the job complexity increases so a national search to fill the position may be prudent.

Hopefully those interested in the issue will attend the workshop to give the school board some direction on what to do next, she said.

In Highlands County, the superintendent is elected to a four-year term by the public.

More than 50 percent of the students in the state are under the leadership of an appointed superintendent. The majority of the elected superintendents are from either mid-size or smaller counties.

Appointed superintendents go through an interview and selection process much like a large company would conduct a search for an appropriate CEO.

The first Highlands County school board workshop on the issue on Nov. 13 yielded proponents on both sides of the issue and many who were undecided.

Some believed in retaining their right to vote for the candidate of their choice. Others maintained that the field of candidates is opened to a nation-wide or even world-wide search with an appointed superintendent.

General arguments offered at the November workshop by state officials included:
In favor of an elected superintendent:

- Since they are chosen by the people, elected school superintendents are closer to the electorate and are more likely to be responsive to their needs and desires.

- Appointing school superintendents has opened avenues for high rates of turnover and abuses of power in office.

- Elected school superintendents are independent and not subject to the agendas of individual school board members. The authority to appoint school superintendents could reduce the power of the electorate in decision-making and strengthen the autocratic rule of the school board.

Arguments in favor of an appointed school superintendent include:

- The elected school board is better able to select a qualified person for the office than the general electorate because: they establish the qualifications, the choice is not limited by a geographic area, it is sound business practice to allow a board of directors (school board) to select the CEO.

- Appointing school superintendents helps take schools out of partisan politics.

- An elected school superintendent and an elected school board claim different mandates from the people causing confusion and conflict.

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