Someone finally stood up for what’s right. Someone finally listened to the complaints. Someone finally stepped up for Selma’s children.

Unfortunately, those who listened were not the elected members of the Selma City School Board. They failed to do their job; someone else had to step in.

Thankfully, the state of Alabama, led by State Superintendent of Education Dr. Tommy Bice and state School Board member Ella Bell, came in and decided to do what others on the local level should have already done by ordering an investigation of the Selma City School System — from top to bottom.

Weeks ago, Selma City School Board president Henry Hicks Sr. asked the board to approve an independent investigation of the school system; a request three members — a slim majority — voted against. Why, we don’t know. They’ve failed to give their reasons and declined repeated requests to explain their votes. We consider their lack of explanation a slap in the face to those who put them in office and a complete failure in providing solid leadership for our city school system.

At this point, though, maybe it is for the best, the state has opened this investigation.

Maybe there is a silver lining to this embarrassing development — the development where someone else has to come in and do what we should have already done.

Now that the state is in town, maybe they can begin to look into a lot of things involving the school system, such as its financial stability.

During his tenure on the school system, former school board member Holland Powell had suggested the state come and take over the school system on multiple occasions. We didn’t think it would ever happen. Then again, we never thought an elected school board would be so hard-headed when it comes to simple decisions.

Last August, we sat back and endorsed a number of those who now sit on the Selma City School Board. We felt many of these individuals were the ones best suited for the job.

Now, we are simply starting to think those we endorsed were the best available.

The developments over the past few weeks have shown a complete failure by the leadership of the Selma City School Board as a whole, and as a whole they will be judged.

These elected officials not only need to be concerned about what skeletons are discovered in the closet by these state investigators, they also need to start worrying about what the community thinks of their leadership and their decisions.

We truly appreciate the state for stepping in, we’re just disappointed they had to be called in the first place.