The Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce has withdrawn its sponsorship of upcoming public receptions and fireside chats featuring Montgomery Public Schools (MPS) superintendent finalists. The organization cited concerns over a lack of transparency in the selection process by the Montgomery County Board of Education (MCBOE).
The receptions, scheduled for March 24 and 25, were intended to provide the community with an opportunity to engage with the finalists for the superintendent position. However, the Chamber’s leadership announced it would no longer participate, expressing disappointment in the Board’s handling of the search.
“The Chamber had originally agreed to help co-host these events, based on the expectation of a sincere search process that recruited the best and brightest candidates from around the country,” said Anna Buckalew, Chamber president and CEO. “That did not occur, in spite of repeated appeals by a coalition of local leadership for transparency and a request to continue and broaden the search.”
“The Montgomery County Board of Education has sent a very clear signal that the only engagement they seek is to offer audiences with candidates whom they have already selected behind closed doors. The future of MPS students and the vibrancy of Montgomery is at stake here, and that’s worth fighting for.”
The Chamber emphasized its continued support for public education and its desire to see a wider, more inclusive superintendent search process.
“The Chamber again reiterates we are proud of the progress in Montgomery Public Schools and will lend our full support to an expanded and open superintendent search. Montgomery’s students must be ready for the jobs and opportunities new industries generate,” Buckalew stated.
This decision follows weeks of growing tension between MCBOE and local elected and business leaders, including Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed, Montgomery County Commission Chairman Doug Singleton, and members of the City Council and County Commission. During a joint meeting on March 17, the coalition appealed to the Board for greater transparency and urged them to continue the search process, potentially with assistance from Alabama State Superintendent Eric Mackey.
Despite these appeals, the Board moved forward and announced two finalists for the superintendent position on March 18 without further consultation with those leaders. The move was met with public criticism from the coalition, who expressed frustration at what they described as a closed and unresponsive process. In response, some members of the Board reportedly told external parties to “stay in their lanes and out of their business.”
The Chamber, along with other civic and political leaders, has played an active role in supporting MPS in recent years, including backing the 2020 ad valorem tax increase for public schools and the 2024 renewal of a 3.5-mill tax for MPS. The same group also supported the contract renewal of former Superintendent Dr. Melvin Brown to continue his work on educational improvements in the district.
Sherri Blevins is a writer for Mountain Valley News and a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].
