Lawrence school board business shouldn’t grind to a halt between the time new members are elected in April and when they take office on July 1. However, especially when a majority of the board seats are due to turn over, board members need to show some judgment on committing incoming members to a certain course of action.

The board’s decision Monday night to push forward on a process for realigning several district elementary schools calls that judgment into question. Although one newly elected board member has openly criticized the process and makeup of an elementary school working group, the board nonetheless voted to move ahead and have the group appointed and working by the time new board members take their seats.

Whether or not other new board members are concerned about the process, they represent a majority of the board that will work with the elementary school group and act on its recommendations. They deserve to have a say in how the group is formed and how it approaches the possibility of consolidating six central-city elementary schools into three or four.

The district needs to move forward on this issue, but it’s only reasonable to wait until the new board is seated. The goal is to consolidate the elementary schools within two or three years, so waiting two months to start the process isn’t critical. It would be far better to have the input of new board members before an elementary school group is selected and working rather than risk an abrupt change in direction after the new board is seated.

It’s not like the current board doesn’t have enough to keep it busy as it finalizes budget cuts and oversees the transition of ninth-graders into four-year high schools next year. It’s reasonable to wonder if current board members are pressing the elementary school issue in an effort to try to make sure the new board continues in the same direction the current board has set. That’s understandable, but it’s not fair to the new board members.

Three current board members chose not to seek re-election and another one failed in her re-election bid. The members elected on April 5 are all new to the board, but they will represent a majority of the board after July 1 and will be the ones responsible for the district’s future. The realignment of district elementary schools is an important issue that will have a significant effect on the city’s future. Rushing the process through before July 1 is insulting to the new board members and a disservice to the district.