Thank you for providing a succinct story on the ballot question on which all registered voters in Madison County may vote: shall the school board appoint the superintendent?
The question is on the March ballot because qualifying to run for the office occurs later this year. In March 2018, Marion County voters voted to allow the school board to appoint the next superintendent of schools. Sixty-two percent of the voters gave up their right to elect the county's top K-12 administrator. The Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote an opinion which allows Superintendent Heidi Maier to finish her term in November 2020.
Florida and Alabama are the only states in which the school superintendent may be elected. Specific qualifications for superintendent are included in the Alabama Code. Florida requires a candidate for the office to be a registered voter of the county.
Madison County currently has an appointed superintendent: Shirley Joseph who was appointed as acting superintendent by the school board and appointed as superintendent by the governor.
The relationship between the board and the superintendent is critical. An elected superintendent will serve a four-year term. An appointed superintendent may be terminated by the board by a 3-2 vote.
The voters will decide (1) if they trust the board to select a qualified superintendent or (2) if they will trust those who vote to elect a superintendent who will have the ability to administer effectively by seeing clearly, thinking rationally and acting benevolently.
The voters will decide. The superintendent is the chief education officer for the school system.
Sincerely,
Jim Catron