The next superintendent of the Dallas County School system will be walking into an uncomfortable situation. The fact is, the new superintendent will have to make some difficult cost-cutting decisions if the school system is to recover from its financial hardships.

The school board will quickly say that Wayne May, former superintendent whose retirement takes effect on July 1, didn’t put the system in deeper debt. However, he wasn’t able to clear the debt he had inherited, either.

The state of Alabama has been knocking on the school system’s doors for years threatening a take-over due to the financial condition.

The vacancy of the superintendent position isn’t going to ward off the state. In fact, it is the opinion of this paper that they will keep a close eye on Dallas County’s progress, with an eye towards a take over at least until a new superintendent is named.

The new super will have the difficult decisions of cutting salaries and expenses. There will be a need to evaluate raises in addition to the many other administrative responsibilities that come with the position.

The new superintendent will have to come in with a mentally tough attitude. He or she needs to come into the position not looking to win a popularity contest, but rather, focusing to get the system out of debt.

The school board doesn’t have an easy task either. The recruiting, interviewing and choosing of the right candidate is a task that will take time and patience. This is an extremely important position to our community and especially to the county.

We ask the board to take their time in this process and make the best decision possible. We ask that they get on the same page as to what they want as far as credentials and attitude and not settle for a candidate that does not meet both standards.

Our hope is that Dallas County puts an outstanding person in charge of their schools. Someone who will make decisions based on what is best for the school, its employees and most importantly the students.