With David Troutman’s announcement that he will not seek reappointment to a new term on the Natchez-Adams School District’s board of trustees, City of Natchez leaders are facing an important task.

The school board’s members are appointed, three by the city’s board of alderman and two by the Adams County supervisors. Troutman is a city appointee.

By all accounts, Troutman’s five years on the school board have been successful. Troutman, who is a former teacher, brought a much-needed perspective to the board, said Tim Blalock, board president. Troutman has since retired from teaching.

Service on our public school board is important work. School board members set policy and direction for the school district and its administrators, faculty and staff.

The school board has navigated its share rough, shark-infested waters since a court order in 1989 led to the consolidation of the city’s two public high schools, as well as radical changes in all other of the city’s public schools.

That move led to the city’s second mass exodus of students to the area’s private and parochial schools, the first occurring during the city’s original racial desegregation in 1968.

The Natchez-Adams school district lost approximately 1,300 students between 1989 and 1999. Most would agree the city’s public school system has never recovered from the 1989 consolidation.

However, for our city’s future, recover it must.

With the struggles in Mississippi as to how to properly fund public school education, as well as the debate over Common Core and curriculum standards, many challenges are ahead for the district.

Meeting those challenges will take quality, dedicated, knowledgeable school board members.

We urge the city’s board of aldermen to take its time in choosing the next school board member and make certain that person has the experience, expertise and leadership our children deserve.