The state’s new commissioner of education will have a profound effect on the future of K-12 schools in Kansas.

Kansas State Board of Education members voted last week to offer that job to Randy Watson, who currently serves as superintendent of the McPherson schools. In announcing the hire, some board members cited Watson’s experience in Kansas, which is extensive. He taught and coached at the high schools in Andover and Tescott and served six years as principal of Concordia High School before becoming an assistant superintendent in McPherson and taking over the superintendent’s job in 2005. The Kansas School Superintendents Association named Watson its 2015 Kansas Superintendent of the Year.

Perhaps the most notable event of his tenure in McPherson was the district’s designation as one of the first two “innovative school districts” in Kansas. The innovative district program was authorized by the Kansas Legislature in 2013 and exempts a certain number of districts from many state laws and regulations that govern most K-12 districts in the state. The goal is to allow those districts to adopt alternate programs aimed at boosting student achievement.

Innovation can be a positive for about any enterprise, but Watson’s dedication to the new Kansas program spurred some concern among state board members, three of whom voted against offering him the job. Many board members, as well as Department of Education staff have argued that exempting “innovative” districts actually undercuts the board’s constitutional responsibility to supervise public education in the state. Nonetheless, on Thursday, the board’s chair praised Watson as a “true visionary.”

It’s unfortunate that the new commissioner didn’t draw unanimous support from the board, but it’s only right that Watson should be aware of some board members’ concerns. Especially with the current uncertainty about state funding for K-12 schools, some Kansans may not think innovation is as important as simply making sure public schools across the state receive the funding they need to stay open and continue educating the state’s next generation.

The elected members of the state board of education have one of the most important jobs in the state. Hopefully, Watson will represent that body and execute its goals in a way that leads to an even stronger K-12 system in Kansas.