Change for the Worse
A proposal to reshape the Prince George's school board should be scrapped.

Thursday, March 29, 2007

TREPIDATION in Prince George's County about the return of an elected school board has given way to relief. In office since December, the new Board of Education is focused, attentive and working well with Superintendent John E. Deasy. So it's troubling that lawmakers in Annapolis already are pushing for big changes in the makeup of the board. They should leave well enough alone.

A bill that would scrap the current configuration of the board has passed the state Senate and is pending in the House. The bill provides for all nine members of the board to be elected from, and represent, districts. The current board has four at-large members and five who represent districts. Even the five district members are elected countywide, although they must first pass a district-only contest in the primary.

Proponents of the change, which would take effect with the next school board election in 2010, argue that the county is so big that it's too hard and expensive for candidates to run at large, much less to provide effective representation. There is, however, a great advantage in members of the school board having a countywide perspective. Experience has shown that having only district representation leads to parochialism that is unhealthy for public policy. There is no question that last fall's school board elections were a complicated affair, with voters at times unclear on the procedures and with dozens of candidates running. Still, the system worked in producing a board that has proved to be largely committed and caring -- in sharp contrast to the embarrassment that was the county's previous elected school board.

Reverting to sole district representation would likely ensure a return to a system that makes it far easier for political interference by individual state senators and delegates. One wonders if perhaps that -- and not what's best for education in Prince George's -- is the reason for the rush in Annapolis to revert to a discredited process.