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Opinion column
by Murrel Bland
The Kansas City, Kansas, School Board is searching for a new superintendent after the abrupt departure of Dr. Charles Foust late last summer. Dr. Foust left when he still had about a year left on his three-year contract.
When Dr. Foust came, he was touted as a turn-around specialist — someone who could come from the outside and help an ailing district. The Kansas City, Kansas, district has, over its long history, had reasonably stable administrations. The main reason for that had been strong leadership from the elected school boards. But more recently, changing demographics, including the exit of many members of a strong middle class, have taken a tremendous toll on the school district.
Dr. Valdenia Winn, a school board member who was instrumental in bringing Dr. Foust here, often clashed with him at school board meetings. Dr. Foust had been a school administrator, but never a superintendent before he came here. He left to become superintendent in New Hanover County, North Carolina.
The school board here conducted a national search and has several candidates to consider including Dr. Alicia Miguel, who is the interim superintendent here.
Whoever becomes the permanent superintendent will face some serious challenges in a district that has about 22,000 students. One of the most severe challenges is academic achievement. The district has a graduation rate of only about 69 percent.
My advice to the new superintendent would be to build support groups, both inside the school district and in the community. That is something Dr. Foust did not do.
People who work and live in the district, who invest heavily in schools, will support those things that they help create. The overwhelming yes vote for a recent bond issue showed that.
About one-third of a typical property tax bill in Wyandotte County goes to schools. Those taxpayers deserve better than what they are receiving from the Kansas City, Kansas, School District.
Murrel Bland is the former editor of The Wyandotte West and The Piper Press. He is executive director of Business West. Opinions expressed here are those of the author and not necessarily those of this publication.