The announcement Wednesday night that Austin Public School’s Superintendent Dr.

Friday, April 2, 1999

The announcement Wednesday night that Austin Public School’s Superintendent Dr. J. Douglas Myers will retire in August came as a shock to many in the community. It also leaves the school district searching for a new leader during an important period.

No one can fault Myers for retiring. He has spent 35 years in education, turns 57 in May and has been planning for retirement the past several years. He has done a lot for the Austin schools and will be missed. The reality is, however, that there is never a good time for a community leader like Myers to hang it up.

Myers has essentially given himself and the school board four months to right the ship that has been rocked with mid-year budget cuts – budget cuts that became necessary when accounting office mistakes were discovered last winter. Myers himself has taken full responsibility for the problems in the business office and has put in place a number of measures to make sure the mistakes never happen again.

Whoever replaces Myers will have big shoes to fill and will be charged with taking the Austin Public Schools into the new millennium. With Myers retiring it is now the task of the school board to find a capable replacement. If the school board has learned anything during the mid-year budget cuts it should be that the public wants and expects to be heard. We urge the board to solicit and respond to public input as the search for a new superintendent begins.

It’s a decision everyone in the community has a stake in and together we can make the right decision for the children of Austin.