A bill that would let Cullman County voters decide if the Cullman County School Superintendent should be an elected position has passed both houses of the Alabama Legislature. 

The bill was introduced by State Rep. Corey Harbison (R-Good Hope) last month, and will have the voters of Cullman County go to the ballot in 2022 to vote on a constitutional amendment to decide if the position of superintendent should remain an appointed one or go back to being an elected position.

If voters decide to go back to electing the superintendent, that position would be on the ballot in the 2024 election for a four-year term.

In Cullman County’s state house delegation, Harbison and State Reps. Randall Shedd (R-Fairview) and Scott Stadthagen (R-Hartselle) voted in favor of the bill, and State Sen. Garlan Gudger (R-Cullman) voted yes in the state senate. The bill passed through both houses and was enacted on Thursday afternoon. 

Cullman County School Board President Shane Rusk said he would like to see the position remain appointed by the board, but the board would accept the voters’ decision if they want the position to be elected. 

“We like it the way it is,” he said.

Rusk said that having an elected school board that then chooses the superintendent still allows for accountability in the position, because if the board ever chooses a superintendent who is performing poorly at the job, that superintendent can be removed by the board instead of waiting for someone to run against them in an election. 

“If you don’t like the superintendent, you would have to wait until somebody runs and beats them out,” he said. 

After he filed the bill, Harbison said he wanted the bill to include a referendum in the 2022 election and possible election of the position in 2024 to make sure there wasn’t any extra money spent on special elections or having to buy out Barnette’s contract in the event that he wasn’t elected.

The state legislature made the Cullman County Superintendent position an appointed one in 2013, without any vote from the people of Cullman County, and during the last two elections, Harbison said he has continued to hear from constituents who are upset that they did not get a say in that decision.

He said if just wanted the county to go back to electing the superintendent, he could have filed a bill that would make that change without any input from residents, but he believes the people of Cullman County should have their say.

“When I was running the first time and when I was running this time, that was probably the thing I heard about more than anything, so that was what I promised,” he said.