The debate has begun on whether Selma should elect or have the Selma City Council appoint its school board members. Voters will decide this in a special election April 29.

Recently, Selma School Superintendent Austin Obasohan was criticized on radio programs for taking one side over the other. That’s not what we understood from his statement last week at a school board meeting.

Both appointed and elected school boards could do good work. Good school boards are made up of good school board members who are dedicated to serving the needs of students in the system; dedicated to ensuring the system has strong, capable leadership in place; who are active learners; and advocates for our schools as well as ambassadors between our schools and other community organizations.

In Obasohan we have a superintendent in place who is a strategic leader and is willing to work with a broad cross section in Selma to move our schools forward. Since he became superintendent in September he has developed a list of 10 recommendations for the system that outlines his vision; he works well with the current school board and is committed to working toward a goal of quality education for students.

We believe he can and will accomplish his goals with our school board, whether it is appointed or elected. His responsibility — the community’s responsibility — to the schools does not stop with a change in the process of how a board is seated around the table.