Let Referendum Guide Superintendent Selection Issue

Should Highlands County have an elected or appointed superintendent? We don't really know.

There's compelling arguments for and against both systems.

For the last many years, we did fine with an elected superintendent. Then one day, somebody raised the idea of appointing the school superintendent instead, and suddenly the whole subject's become a talked-about issue. But if the system is not broken, should one fix it?

We now learn that Highlands is one of 300 school districts, from 15,500 school districts nationwide, to actually vote in its schools' chief. That means about 2 percent of school districts nationwide have elected superintendents. What that also means is those voters -- not their school boards -- get to choose their superintendents.

Many in academia will attest that some school superintendents, like university presidents, have to assume very political positions and do some fine tight rope walking with board members of their respective institutions if these boards hire or fire them.

If they are elected by parents, grandparents and future parents, they are less encumbered by political obligations such as these and more likely to work for their true bosses -- the voters.

By the same token, there is nothing to stop a person unqualified to be a school superintendent to run for one and win it. Recalling elected officials is not easy, and imagine being stuck with the wrong school chief.

Whichever side one takes, there's no denying that this is an important subject that needs to be addressed in some definitive form. We can argue for and against it forever but it's time to do something about it -- either change the system or end the discussion.

The best way to tackle this dilemma is to ask voters what they think. Having a referendum on the issue will give everyone a clear notion of what county voters want done with their superintendents. If they want to continue electing their superintendents, so be it. If not, it's time to change track.

The school board is going to talk about the issue at its Feb. 26 school board meeting. We hope they consider the referendum idea seriously. The talk has advanced too far to be brushed aside one day.