A proposal to let Duval County voters choose whether the school superintendent should be elected has moved a step closer to being considered by state lawmakers. Under the current system the superintendent is selected by the school board.
Jacksonville Republican State Representative Jason Fischer got the go-ahead to file his bill from Duval’s legislative delegation last week.
“It passed with bipartisan support: 6-to-2. So the next stop is in Tallahassee. It’ll work its way through some House committees and it’ll go over to the Senate," said Fischer.
Depending on Jacksonville Democratic Senator Audrey Gibson, that could be as far as it gets in the Republican-controlled legislature this year.
“There is a rule in the Senate Rules that a senator could object to a local bill,” said Gibson.
Gibson said she favors an appointed superintendent since the selection process should be about qualifications, not politics.
Gibson said she wouldn't announce whether she'll object to Fischer's local bill until she's had a chance to read it.
Contact reporter Cyd Hoskinson at choskinson@wjct.org, 904-358-6351 and on Twitter at @cydwjctnews.
