Task force did its job; changes up to legislators

Editor:

This is in response to the recent News-Times editorial concerning the Columbia County Board of Educations task force committee and its findings regarding the countywide election of a school board chairman.

The task force members were asked to serve by their schools or by board members. We came from all areas of the county. The charge of the task forced was to study the proposed countywide election of a school board chairman, and report those findings back to the school board. The task force met and worked diligently to fulfill its obligation to the board.

The Board of Education is not responsible for enacting or preventing the enactment of the proposed legislative change. However, the board does have a duty to the community to provide information about an issue that has the potential to greatly impact the school system. The report of the task force can be one source for such information.

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The task force did not set itself out as smarter or wiser than the 9.600 voters who stated they would be in favor of a countywide elected chair. We studied the matter and presented our findings to the board.

The local legislative delegation may or may not introduce the legislation to change the way our school board is elected. They may or may not choose to look at the findings of the task force before they make that decision. The school board is not the body in control of making such a change.

I do hope that if our local legislators choose to pursue this change that they will offer the voters the opportunity to vote on the proposed new structure of the board and that the board will, in the meantime, provide information to the community regarding the impact such a structure might have on our school system.

Lori B. Scherer

Harlem