Jan 24, 2017 2 min read

Washington School District is in the process of looking for a new superintendent, and once the search is completed in a couple of months, no one will be able to say that the school board did not sufficiently allow the community to be part of the deliberations.

First, they have given parents, residents of the district and staff the opportunity to fill out a survey asking what qualities they would like to see in the successor to Roberta DiLorenzo, the well-regarded superintendent who will be retiring at the end of the academic year after a 20-year tenure with the district. Among the questions they are asking is whether a new superintendent should be like the incumbent or whether the district should go in another direction and pick a candidate with a different management style. They are also asking those filling out the survey to prioritize important qualities and strengths a new superintendent should have, such as supporting staff, being visible in the community, having previous experience as a superintendent or assistant superintendent or a background in finance, business management and budgets.

The school board also hosted a public forum Monday night at Washington High School to gather the thoughts of community members, and fewer than a dozen turned up. And, at least as of Monday, there were only 157 respondents to the survey.

Washington School District is unquestionably doing its part to make the process of choosing a new superintendent transparent, and district officials should be commended for seeking a consensus. Now, parents and residents should do their part, consider the attributes they would like a new superintendent to have, and let the school board know.