The Mississippi Senate approved a bill Thursday that would change the way the Yazoo County School District selects its superintendent.
Senate Bill 2438, authored by Education Chairman Gray Tollison, R–Oxford, would require school boards to hire superintendents to run daily school operations. If the bill, which passed by a vote of 40-9, was approved by the House and passed into law, the change would take place Jan. 1, 2019.
The Yazoo County schools superintendent is currently elected by popular vote. The county school board is also elected.
The Yazoo City schools superintendent is already appointed by the school board. Yazoo City does not have an elected school board. The school board members are appointed by the Mayor and Board of Aldermen.
Some lawmakers are pushing for the final version of the law to require elected school board members who appoint the superintendent.
Yazoo County superintendent Becky Fisher is one of 55 superintendents currently elected.
Proponents of the bill point at that Mississippi is one of the few states that has districts where school superintendents are elected.
Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves said electing superintendents would allow school districts to seek applicants from a larger pool of candidates.
“Limiting the pool of qualified educators to political boundaries hampers many school districts’ opportunities for success,” Reeves said. “Districts should be able to perform broad searches to find leaders who will inspire teachers and encourage students to learn.”
Opponents of the bill say there is no evidence that districts with appointed superintendents perform better. On the local level, the Yazoo County School District is a higher performing district thant the Yazoo City Municipal School District.
Sen. Barbara Blackmon, D-Canton, who represents a portion of Yazoo County, voted against the bill.
