Too Bad Manhas Can't Take Board With Him

Editorial

A district drowning

Raj Manhas took over the Seattle School District when it was drowning in red ink, facing teacher unrest and laughed at for its administrative foibles and disarray.

Months into Manhas' tenure, Cothron McMillian, then president of the district's principal association, credited the superintendent with bringing "order to chaos."

Four years later, Manhas is exiting. The superintendent couldn't lead with a board that has become a circus-like farce. He'll leave the district at the end of the school year with a record he ought not be ashamed of.

Manhas walked into the top job facing a $35 million deficit and a cabal of newly elected board members angry at many things, including him.

He grasped the financial challenges facing the district, paid off the debt and built a cushion of reserves essential for any fiscally responsible agency.

Manhas restructured the top administration and oversaw the graceful exit of Chief Academic Officer June Rimmer. The schools were stocked with energetic new principals.

The restless teachers union stopped its grumblings about a possible strike and agreed to a new, five-year contract.

Manhas oversaw the many non-education tasks necessary to support the central task of educating children.

Manhas next moved to shift the district from its free-spending culture to one more efficient and focused. He rightly homed in on the surplus school buildings around the city. They are underutilized and costly in terms of utilities, maintenance and staffing.

Manhas proposed closing some buildings. A divisive board — and some members of the community more loyal to theatrics than education — blocked every move.

Manhas has eight months left before his contract ends but for all intents and purposes, he's gone. The city is left with an education leadership vacuum and a School Board unwilling to grasp the magnitude of the superintendent's exit.

Meanwhile, the district's projected spending for next year far outstrips expected revenue. Assistance from the state is not forthcoming. Seattle's national reputation is at a low, compromising the next superintendent search.

Too bad Manhas couldn't take the board with him.