For far too long now the public focus of the Natchez-Adams School District has been more on the adults — often acting like children — than the children of the district.

Drama in a school district is almost inevitable. Most work places have their fair share of it, and when you’re among the largest employers in town and dealing with our most precious possessions, our children, the drama can grow exponentially fast.

Most reasonable people discount such drama as what it is, much ado about nothing.

However, the testimony and the ultimate verdict in last week’s federal discrimination case against the Natchez-Adams School District and its two top leaders indicates the problems in the district are not merely dramatic hype that has been blown out of proportion.

Last year, the principal at the high school resigned and while not publicly blaming the administration, his words hinted to problems there.

The previous year another long-time and well-respected local principal resigned from the high school as well.

Many more teachers and principals have left the district and while the administration has hinted that the district is better off without them, we find that difficult to belief across the board.

Monday, the district’s website indicated more than two-dozen jobs — most of them teaching positions — were still available. Selling others on joining the district’s team will be difficult until a change in the leadership is made, both in the administrative offices as well as on the school board.

If the school superintendent and the school board members truly care about what’s best for our community’s school district, they would realize the best way to rebuild the district is for them to step aside.

Natchez once supported amazingly successful schools. We have to believe that’s possible again, but it starts with getting excellent leadership, which at the moment the district is sorely lacking.