It has come to our attention that it is again time to select a new school board member.

If I had my way, I would not allow any person to sit on the public school board unless they presently have children attending public school. Once their last child graduates, it would be time to select a new replacement for the school board.

Any of us who have had children in school know that when they were there, we knew just about everything that was going on at school. We knew of the teacher who would go to sleep during class. We knew of the kid who was brought to school each day by his mother driving a Lexus, but who got free lunches. We knew who the teacher’s pets were and how they were allowed to “slide.” We knew which teacher hated which teacher and did not work as a team. Etc, etc, etc.

Admittedly, it was scuttle-butt, but it was usually reliable and could be easily pursued. This is would be excellent information for a school board member to know.

To have a member making decisions for public school who is sending their children to parochial or private schools is like making decisions for General Motors when you’ve always driven a Ford. You may drive on the same highways, but the two systems are entirely different.

School board members are certainly not there for the money, considering the pittance they receive for doing so. They must be doing it for altruistic reasons.

But we must remember that in life, however, we get what we pay for.

I respect the board members for doing this job, but not forever.

I personally don’t know any of the seated members; perhaps my grandfather did. Neither do I know many of the nominees, but hopefully they all have children attending public school today.

If selected, I would want them to walk away the year after their youngest child graduated from public school.

As one on the outside looking in, it appears that some of the school board members were selected because they had a vendetta against certain school officials.

If this is the case, I cannot think of a more stupid decision.

It’s like putting a fox in the henhouse — it’s hard on all the chickens.

Ed Field

Natchez resident