Natchez Adams School Board members are upset that many candidates are blaming the school board for some of the area’s problems, including lack of jobs and a dwindling population.

To be fair, the school board is not the source of the area’s problems, and it seems many candidates have found the school board an easy target. That said, the school board members are not doing themselves any favors by taking time at the end of a recent meeting to complain about the candidates singling them out.

Most anyone you talk to in Natchez and Adams County believes the school board members are less than transparent when they conduct business. That may or may not be a fair assessment. However, instead of banging fists on tables and complaining about the perception of the board, members should work to be more transparent and accountable to the public.

The school board has made great strides in improving the city’s schools and students’ performances in recent years.

Board members should work through better communication, accountability and accessibility to get that word out to the larger community.

A majority of Natchez and Adams County residents, however, have expressed a desire for an elected school board. Until board members, who currently serve by appointment, become more like elected officials, and do a better job of communicating their successes, the public will continue to question the board’s effectiveness.