Natchez-Adams School Board members avoided several hot-button issues on Monday as they discussed the qualities a new superintendent needs.

That they’re attempting to avoid some of the predictable “must haves” is refreshing.

Nearly each time a new superintendent has been selected in the last two decades, the public outcry often centers on two things:

“The superintendent should be one of us.”

This either means a successful candidate must be from Natchez-Adams County or have black skin. Neither of which have a darned thing to do with helping our school system return to being one of the best in the state.

At the end of the day, shouldn’t we be more worried about locating a leader who can effectively drive the district to success — regardless of the color of their skin or the city listed on their birth certificate?

“The superintendent needs to have hands-on experience in education.”

While clearly some educators rise up through the ranks to become wise, capable administrators, that’s not always the case. Years of experience and a long resume do not necessarily mean a candidate has the skills to succeed.

School board members are wise to consider candidates who have extensive backgrounds in business, budgeting and communication. They may be unconventional choices, but they may be better fits.

With an annual budget of more than $40 million, the school district is easily one of the largest “businesses” in our community. While strange to our ears, the district is a business; it’s a factory for our future, a factory producing our future workforce, future taxpayers and future citizens.

Our future deserves the absolute best leadership we can recruit.