At large or from districts, let voters choose school board

I'd like to clarify that my statement to the school board study commission on Sept. 12 included opposition to any appointed member of the county Board of Education. I haven't heard of anyone supporting an all-appointed board, but, if so, I'd be even more vehemently against that.

I much prefer democracy rather than appointment from above in the selection of our policy-making county officials. As indicated in my testimony, I believe the people of Howard County are capable of choosing our own representatives on such bodies and don't need any elected official or officials, using their own standards, doing the choosing for us.

Since there will be winners and losers in every election, not everyone will be pleased with the results. But it's not like Howard County hasn't had some diversity over the years among its elected officials (including on the school board). At any rate, perfect representation of the considerable diversity in the county would seem to require that we all sit on these bodies. And that would be unworkable.

I don't much care whether we elect all members of our school board at large or from districts or from a combination of the two, but I care very much that we leave the whole job to the voters.

Kenneth A. Stevens

Kings Contrivance