The next round of the Goodrich Area Schools superintendent interviews is this Sunday (see page A-1 for more).

Given the acrimony in the district over the past few years — and several residents’ complaints about past leadership — what is amazing is that so few people are showing up for the interview process.

There is a meet-and-greet from 4-5 p.m. to give the community a chance to meet the final two candidates. Interviews are at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m., and residents are welcome to attend.

Some board members are also a little surprised about the low turnout, as are other residents, some of whom have even written letters asking why more people don’t show up to give feedback.

When this whole process began, the concern people voiced most were requests that the interviews be open to the public. Several people chastised the board, fearing that the board would conduct the interviews in private.

Well, the board listened, and the interviews are open to the public — except there seems to be too few community members who show up. Remember, this is the person who will lead the district, hopefully, for many years to come.

Maybe everyone is hoping that Allen (who has been doing an excellent job in the interim, even by the most critical residents’ standards) will decide to apply for a permanent position. I doubt this is the case.

Goodrich has had a tumultuous three years, to say the least: bitter contract negotiations with the teachers’ union; impassioned pleas to bring back several after- and during-school activities (which the board, for the most part, has done); inquiries over fund balance amounts (which were bordering on the absurd); and two contentious school board elections.

Many people have complained that the school board makes decisions without listening to community input: now that community members have the chance to give input, they need to use it.

If they don’t — and the board makes the final decision with little or no impact from the community — residents only have themselves to blame if things don’t turn out as they had hoped.

It takes an involved community to sway elected officials’ decisions. Neglect it at your expense.

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