Strong leaders needed for wounded school district

Broward County School Board elections usually don’t generate much excitement. In the 2014 midterm, only about 7 percent of the county’s 1 million registered voters bothered to cast a ballot in one of the five races. And the incumbents won every race.

The Aug. 28 primary again features five races. But this time, many more people are talking about who runs the public school district — the nation’s sixth largest, with more than 271,500 students.

Locally, the Broward School Board races are the talk of the election, which comes just six months after the Feb. 14 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.

Two parents of slain students are seeking board seats. Two other candidates had friends killed.

Plus, the school board is asking voters for a tax increase in order to give teachers a raise and make schools safer.

Critics are calling for change. Supporters are rallying around the incumbents. Many see the election as a referendum on Superintendent Robert Runcie.

While great emotion surrounds the races, we encourage voters to also hold Tallahassee accountable this election.

For years, the Florida Legislature has been starving public schools — calling them “failure factories.” Before the shooting, lawmakers had passed a bill that gives for-profit charter schools public money for land and build buildings, something charters had once promised they wouldn’t seek. The Republican-led legislature also wants Tallahassee to approve any new charter school, killing local control.

School Board members, who are paid $44,443 a year, face daunting challenges. There’s still mold in the schools. An oversold bond issue is behind schedule. And the shooting has raised questions about school programs, training, supervision and accountability.

While school safety is essential, it should not be the only area of focus in this election. For armed guards, security cameras and muscular fencing cannot prepare students for a world that rewards those who grasp complex issues and recognize the global competition we face.

Truth is, there’s not enough money for teachers, counselors, computers and even guards.

And without a doubt, there are more troubled boys who want revenge or notoriety and know how to get their hands on lethal weapons.

To make change, public schools are going to need a lot more support from Tallahassee and Washington, D.C.

That said, today we publish our first recommendations in the Broward School Board races.