OPINION: Must we hire BCS super now?

As evidenced by its decision to re-interview two candidates and delay the possible selection of Bogalusa's next city schools superintendent until at least the day they wanted them on the job, it seems as if the BCS board has questions, concerns or reservations — or all three.

We would hope this board, elected by a majority of the people voting in the election in which they sought office, would be comfortable within themselves to say, "Wait. There has to be someone else."

One candidate has made it this far before — in this community. They have obvious qualifications, but, because they weren't selected in the first round, there are obvious concerns.

The other candidate has made it this far twice before this year, losing out in a larger district in north Louisiana, but also in a small district to the west of us that, quiet honestly, people snicker about when you name it. If they aren't good enough for St. Helena — which gave us Jerry Payne — why we would consider them?

And then, there's the "X" factor of the local person who says they wanted to be considered, but never heard from the search firm. The search firm says they made contact and follow-up calls, but has a fuzzy memory when it comes to just exactly who they talked with and when.

There are questions both ways on this one ... no phone log? ... no email? ... no answering device? ... how about this one ... no recorder from a national search firm to record such conversations for documentation?

Too many questions there to make us feel comfortable, whether the local candidate might be qualified or not.

And finally, a new concern has come up with us.

After the out-of-state candidate was eliminated, we sent a copy of our story to the editor of the El Dorado Springs Sun newspaper, only to receive a strange reply: "Don't have a clue what you're talking about?"

After sending an explanation, we got this email from Kimball Long, El Dorado Springs Sun newspaper publisher:  "I read with some surprise that someone named Dr. Daniel Slack, superintendent at the Carter R-II School in El Dorado Springs, MO, had been eliminated from consideration as the leader of the Bogalusa City Schools.

"Please check your facts. There has never been anyone by that name in El Dorado Springs, MO and we have no Carter R-II School district."

Both the local newspaper and wpnews got that information from the same source, the Bogalusa City Schools, who got it from McPherson & Jacobson, LLC.

For the record, the Missouri candidate is located about 250 miles away from the community we were told he was in and, while it may not be a big deal, it makes us wonder about everything else this search firm has done ... so, for the record, we would ask the board to table the hiring, up the salary to about $125,000 annually — which, as the local newspaper editor discussed with us Tuesday night, attracts a whole new level of candidate — thank Mac & Jack for a questionable job, at best, and start the search over with a new firm.

Interim Superintendent Stephanie Hoppen has obviously done a good enough job that you've left her in the position and she has worked through some difficult situations she inherited. In country folk jargon, she's keeping the district bus on the road and between the ditches.

Let's let her keep driving while you make sure you have the right firm finding the right candidate ... because if you don't and this turns out to be another bad hire, our district — and our community — will have had it.

                                                                                                 -John H. Walker