A bill being considered by the Alabama Legislature would end elections for school superintendents and require them to be appointed by local school boards.
Currently, most school superintendents in the state are appointed by school boards. However, 40 school districts – mostly in rural areas - have elected school superintendents.
The bill, if passed, would be an amendment to the Alabama Constitution and would require a vote of the people to be enacted. The bill was introduced by state Rep. Jeremy Oden.
The School Superintendents of Alabama has taken no position on the issue.
“We’ve got some great elected superintendents and great appointed superintendents,” said Eric Mackey, executive director of the SSA.
Tim Pitchford, Houston County School Superintendent, who is elected, said he sees positive and negative aspects in the proposal.
Pitchford said going to an appointed system would result in school districts getting a broader pool of applicants for superintendent’s jobs, bringing in candidates from around the state and nation instead of limiting the pool to the immediate area.
Pitchford was first elected in 2004, was unopposed in the 2008 election and is unopposed again. Pitchford said he spent about $35,000 on his first election campaign, and the high cost of running plus the process of campaigning may turn many qualified candidates off to running.
“If you run and you lose, that money’s gone,” he said.
Pitchford said the downside of an appointed superintendent would be that the superintendent would be accountable to the local school board and that may result in the superintendent being reluctant to disagree with school board members, or reproach them if they step outside their legally defined role and try to interfere in the day-to-day management of school systems, a role given to school administrators.
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