Hoover City Schools is searching for a new superintendent after Dr. Kathy Murphy, who had served in that capacity since June 2015, resigned in 2020 to accept the position of president at Gadsden State Community College.

This, of course, has brought about much conversation on social media about who should succeed Dr. Murphy. The Hoover Board of Education has narrowed the list down to five finalists.

One recent post talked about this list, and how the finalists didn’t come from a system “greater than Hoover”. The responses included talk about Nick Saban and how Hoover should be looking for a Saban caliber superintendent to take Dr. Murphy’s place.  Interesting premise.  But is that feasible?

The other day I asked a friend a question about football coaches, specifically in the SEC. Saban, who was coach of the Miami Dolphins before the took the job at Alabama (by the way, as a Dolphins fan, I still have issues with him looking directly into the camera and telling me that he was not interested in the Alabama job 10 days before the took the Alabama job! Not saying he’s a liar, but he lied. But I digress…). Let’s say that someday Saban decides to retire. Who’s going to take his place? Dabo? Why would he? What would he gain by leaving Clemson?

So looking at the top rated school systems in Alabama we see a number of familiar names, including Hoover. If we’re using these schools as a baseline, why would any of their superintendents leave? Money?

Last year Trisha Crain did an article on the top paid superintendents in Alabama.

Some of the above listed school systems are “greater than” but many are not. Yes, Hoover is #5 on the list. This was after then Board President Earl Cooper recommended a raise for Dr. Murphy before he came off the Board of Education, which the Board approved.

But the real question is “What makes it a better system?”.  For those who have not been following Hoover City Schools closely for the past 20 years, let’s get you up to speed. The job comes with some baggage. Baggage that was built up between 2000 and 2016 by the City Councils that were in place back then. And indirectly by actions of the 1994 City Council.

In 1987 when Hoover City Schools was first proposed (when it was still part of the Jefferson County School System), the City Council pledged 33% of the sales tax revenue yearly to the new school system. That number was reduced to 16.5% in 1996, then cut to 0 in the 2000-2004 Council. The 2004-2016 Councils basically restored it to $2.5M per year. In 2016 the new Mayor/Council raised it to $5M. That’s a tiny fraction of the total school budget.

Overall HCS lost over $51M in funding between 2004 and 2015 from the city. By “lost” I mean funding it should have received but didn’t. This caused it to go into a continuous deficit spending pattern under the superintendent who was there between 2007-2014 (Dr. Murphy came in June 2015). Dr. Murphy did a phenomenal job of restoring the budget to the black in her five years. But capital needs remain, especially with the proposed annexation of the property on Hwy. 150.  More on that later.

Which brings us to the next item. Rezoning and Unitary Status. In July 2013, the then superintendent decided that buses were not needed for Hoover City Schools. This, he said, would save HCS about $2.5M yearly (he had a $11M budget deficit). Was that the real reason? This action brought about a lot of anger from the residents, anger that ultimately resulted in the action to be rescinded in December 2013.

The superintendent did an encore at the July 2014 where he brought out proposed rezoning. This again brought about a lot of anger, and it also brought out the Department of Justice who reminded Hoover that they were still under a desegregation order from 1971 which they inherited from Jefferson County when HCS was formed.

Five months later the superintendent resigned to take a job at the state level. In June 2015 the Board hired Dr. Murphy. From Monroe County Schools. One could say that it was a “lower” school system than Hoover.

For those who follow HCS like I have, Dr. Murphy did a fabulous job in righting the ship. She and I didn’t always agree on her methods. She did many things that upset many, including closing Artists On The Bluff, shutting down an important mental health related program, among other things. But each one of these was not done without input from others, including myself. Regardless of how I felt about some of her actions, I respected them.

She left HCS in much better shape than when she came. MUCH BETTER.

Back to the capital needs. Over two years ago the Board of Education approved an item that would raise property taxes by 2.4 mills, which was then approved by the City Council The Alabama Legislature approved it, as they had to, so now it waits to be approved by the voters in Hoover. This tax increase would go directly to the school system. When that
vote will be is still up in the air. But it’s needed.

As the number of residents increase, so does the capacity at each school. The City Council doesn’t stop annexation nor allowing further development to take place. They say that they are forbidden from preventing a landowner from developing his land. But how the schools will be funded and how public services will be provided is not in the discussion. See the Smith Farm project in Bluff Park if you’re in doubt.

Another perfect example is the 1994 annexation of thousands of acres and land, which is now Blackridge and other developments. At that Council meeting in early 1994 one Council member objected to the annexation. She said (and I paraphrase) “Someday we will have to educate those children and provide public services for them”. The response by another councilor (and again, I paraphrase) “That’s 20 years away.” Well, here we are.

Will residents vote for a 2.4 mills tax increase that benefits the schools? Homewood voters were given that opportunity two years ago and they shot it down.

So, you say that you want someone from a “greater” school system. Not going to get it. They are happy where they are. We need another Dr. Murphy. Someone who works well with the city, someone who’s not a puppet, someone who doesn’t sugarcoat things. Someone who’s willing to listen, but ultimately do what they feel is best for those that really matter in the system, the students.

At last year’s council election I was at one polling place when it closed. There were two voters there and I asked “Did you vote for me?”. It turned out that they had only voted for mayor, not for Council. And they felt that the mayor was responsible for Dr. Murphy being there and they didn’t like Dr. Murphy because of the mask mandate and closing of the schools. I reminded them that Dr. Murphy was not hired by the mayor. She was hired by the Board of Education, who’s members are appointed by the City Council on five year
staggered terms. And once they are appointed, the mayor and the Council are prohibited by law from interfering with the Board or Hoover City Schools (I found it amusing that one Council candidate didn’t know this. They didn’t win).

The point is that our residents get very vocal when it comes to certain school actions. Very vocal. I made a social media comment in September regarding what I perceived Dr. Murphy was going to do based on her statements at a Board meeting and less than two hours later an entire Facebook group was formed to go against her actions. Hoover residents don’t play. They are serious. They are passionate. And they are well organized.

Just look at what the FB group Bluff Park United was able to accomplish in 2015. Had it not been for the members of that group, Bluff Park would have been carved up into various zones. Instead only two streets were rezoned.

I’m sure that superintendents talk with each other. And I’m sure that HCS superintendent is not a dream job, like in Mountain Brook or Vestavia. No, the Hoover superintendent requires a thick skin. A very thick skin. And familiarity with the system. And the stakeholders. And a good relationship with the city.

There’s only one of the five candidates who meets that criteria. Only one. And yes, Kyle, based on what I’ve seen them do before, they will do a stellar job. And will communicate with all stakeholders.  And they, like Dr. Murphy before them, come from a “lesser” school system.