SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT: Opinions Mixed On Issue

The elected versus appointed superintendent workshop on Tuesday yielded proponents on both sides of the issue and many who are undecided.

The issue is whether the public should continue to elect its schools chief or should the school board have the authority to approve an appointed superintendent.

Wayne Blanton, Florida School Boards Association executive director, believes an appointed superintendent is best for a community.

"Professional, not political," as stated atop an election flier on the issue, sums it up, he said.
With an appointed superintendent, the school board sets minimum qualifications for the position, which may include: education, experience or personal qualities, Blanton said. Under the current elective system in Florida this cannot be done, which basically requires candidates to be registered voters and live within the county they seek office.

"When you have an appointed superintendent, you can go out and search Florida; you can search the United States and it does not preclude including people in Highlands County who may want to apply for the superintendency," he said.

Also, the board can pursue candidates with a particular area of expertise that the school district needs, Blanton noted.

Bill Montford, CEO of Florida District School Superintendents, served as an elected superintendent of schools in Leon County for 10 years. He spoke of the advantages of having an elected superintendent.
The bottom line is what best fits this community, he said. Many of the arguments against an elected superintendent can also be used against an appointed schools chief.

"You are not going to take politics out of it," Montford said. Appointed superintendents are campaigning all the time.

About 25 people were in the audience including a few school principals and some school district employees.

Public comment on both sides of the issue prompted applause.

"That right to vote, to me, is the biggest I have," said Tom Andrews, who said he graduated from Sebring High in 1977.

Addressing the school board and Superintendent Wally Cox, he said, "I want to have that right to vote you into office ... and I want to have that right to vote you out if you are not doing your job.
"The bottom line - if it ain't broke, I don't think you ought to try to fix it; it's good the way it is."

Dianne Juve, a parent who spearheaded the district's advanced academics program, said things are working well for the district.

"I'm wondering what's broke?" she said. "Maybe this could be explored in a few years. I don't think we need a miracle worker to come in with a magic bullet to save our schools. I think we have the ability within the school system to do it now."

Ray Royce brought up the replacement process for a new county administrator as a comparison. To find a successor to Carl Cool, there's talk of a national search, but there's no conversation if it should be filled by an election, he said.

"Should that be a popularity contest?" he asked. "Whenever we get ready to hire the next superintendent, we need to have that pool [of applicants] be as wide as possible."

Ruth Handley, a former Highlands County superintendent of schools, said she is undecided on the issue.

"I don't know which is better," she said. Trying to change to an appointed superintendent would take a considerable amount of time, but just raising the issue may prompt more people to run for the office.