State lawmakers would do local school districts a favor if they cleaned up the rules regarding the appeals process for superintendents who believe they’ve been wrongfully released from their jobs.

Currently, the process is similar to any teacher or administrator who is removed from their position or has their employment contract non-renewed — a hearing before the school board.

In the case of teachers, custodians, principals and the like, the appeal to the school board makes a bit of sense.

The theory being members of the board were probably not directly involved in the decision to part ways with the disgruntled employee.

In the case of school district superintendents, however, members of the school board almost certainly would be involved in the decision, short of a recent election or change in appointed board members.

The current system causes the former employee to have a hearing before the very people that caused their grief in the first place.

Natchez-Adams School District board of trustees recently completed a three-day hearing for the district’s former superintendent. While no decision has been made yet in former superintendent Frederick Hill’s appeal, having the board of trustees overturn their decision to terminate Hill would seem highly, highly unlikely.

Lawmakers could save districts — and their former superintendent — both time and money by changing the law regarding employment appeals of superintendents to go directly to the local chancery court rather than the silly step of appealing to the school board.