NEW TAMPA, Fla. — Schools in New Tampa could be impacted by a referendum on the ballot for Hillsborough County voters that could change how the district's top education leader is chosen. The question: Should the school board continue to appoint the superintendent, or should voters decide in a partisan race?
Watch report from Annette Gutierrez:
Supporters say the measure gives voters more direct control, while opponents are raising concerns about what the change could mean for students.
I spoke with nearly a dozen Hillsborough County voters, and not one supported the change.
"I think it should be appointed by the school board, which are elected positions, so you are still getting a say in who your school board members are," Hillsborough County School parent Ali Wilbur said.
She says she doesn't want politics entering the classrooms.
"It could impact the schools because one party or the other or both will pour money into this race and so then it becomes way less about what the students in Hillsborough County need and a lot more about what the Republican or the Democratic Party of the state of Florida thinks should happen in public education," Wilbur said.
Wilbur also worries about waiting four years to vote out a district leader if there are issues.
"It makes it really dangerous in my opinion to be stuck for 4 whole years with somebody who maybe isn't great at doing the job," Wilbur said.
Rob Kriete, president of the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association, also questions the need for a change.
"We're an A school district. We have the highest rate of, of students that are graduating every year. I would say, what are we trying to fix?" Kriete said.
He said this could directly impact the students.
"The losers and all that would be the students, cause then we'd have people in different groups that want to become superintendent for different reasons," Kriete said. "And frankly, we can't get somebody who doesn't have experience in public education."
Supporters of the measure, including the state representative who championed it, argue that voters deserve a direct say in who leads their schools rather than leaving that decision to an appointed board.
"I believe that the parents and the voters of Hillsborough should determine who the CEO of their child's education is," Michael Owen said last year during a legislative meeting.
On Tuesday, we'll find out how the voters decide — whether it remains with the school board or becomes the voters' choice.
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