Lansing schools' voters have vital job

An LSJ Editorial from Aug. 17, 2011    

The first step toward restoring credible leadership on the Lansing school board has been taken. Nine candidates filed to run for three seats that are on the ballot Nov. 8.

Now it is up to voters to learn about these people and be sure they make the best selections for the community's future. Make no mistake, this goes well beyond families with children in the Lansing School District. The city is the hub of the Greater Lansing region, an area with one of the best performing local economies in the state. But thriving in the future depends heavily on a highly qualified work force, and that begins with quality public schools.

As noted here previously, the current school board has veered down a dangerous and reckless path. While pursuing personal agendas and battling needlessly with the administrative staff, the current board has failed to manage the district's finances successfully. That puts Lansing's students and the entire region at risk.

To be sure, the financial situation would be grim regardless of the names of board members. But by repeatedly waffling on difficult decisions about closing buildings or realigning resources, the current board has let a bad situation get worse.

New members with a vision focused on the students are a must. Two major items facing the new school board will involve hiring a new superintendent to replace T.C. Wallace Jr., who leaves next June, and wrestling a 2012-13 budget that could have a deficit as high as $20 million.

Since the current board plans to spend the district's $10 million reserve to cover this year's deficit, the challenges ahead next year are the most daunting yet.

Voters will want to make sure they ask tough questions to these candidates.

The most important quality for future board members is the courage to make difficult decisions. Those will include closing and realigning school buildings - decisions that by their nature will be unpopular with some district residents. They also must show that they will put the district's students first. And yes, that means students come ahead of employees. It's vital that new board members stand on their own two feet and don't succumb to the pressures of the existing board's cliques and agendas.

Let the race begin.

An LSJ editorial