Escambia voters to decide elected vs. appointed superintendent again. The question is when
The Escambia County School Board voted to put the issue on the ballot earlier this year, however the Escambia's Board of County Commissioners must approve adding the referendum to the ballot.
At this week's regular meeting, Escambia's Board of County Commissioners is expected to schedule a public hearing for Thursday, Aug. 7 at 5:30 p.m. to consider adopting an ordinance that would establish when the issue would be on the ballot.
There are three options for scheduling the vote.
All three include authorizing a county-wide referendum to determine if the Escambia County school superintendent should be an elected position, but each is for a different election.
The three options are:
General Election Ballot on Nov. 03, 2026
Statewide Primary Election Ballot on Aug. 18, 2026
Special election with the date set in 2026 at the discretion of the supervisor of elections to meet compliance with state election laws
Appointed vs. elected: Escambia School Board wants to put elected vs. appointed superintendent back on the ballot
If the referendum passes in 2026, Escambia County voters will elect a superintendent during the November 2028 general election.
In February, the school board voted 3-2 to approve a resolution to put a referendum on the August 2026 midterm primary election giving voters the option of choosing to elect or appoint the Escambia County schools superintendent.
District 5 Board Member Tom Harrell introduced the measure at the board's workshop on Feb. 13. Harrell, Kevin Adams and Paul Fetsko voted in favor of the resolution while Carissa Bergosh and David Williams opposed it.
In 2018, Escambia County voters supported a referendum for an appointed superintendent. After a nationwide search, the board hired Tim Smith, but he was terminated in a surprise 3-2 vote in 2023.
Since that time, Keith Leonard has been leading the school district. Leonard, however, is set to retire in 2027 or 2028.
Escambia County's next board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, July 10, at 5:30 p.m., 221 Palafox Place.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Elected vs. appointed Escambia school superintendent 2026 ballot
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