The Lawrence school board is to be commended for adopting a more open and transparent process from the outset to select an interim superintendent to replace Kyle Hayden.

On Wednesday, the board shared plans for the search and selection process. Three candidates are being considered for the position. Board members will conduct closed interviews this month for the position. Importantly, candidates will be identified at least three days before each candidate’s interview takes place, Board President Marcel Harmon said.

Board members plan to announce the interim superintendent during a public meeting June 20. The interim superintendent will replace Kyle Hayden, who is leaving the superintendent’s position after one year in the role to become the school district’s chief operations officer. Hayden moves into his new role July 1.

The transparent process that will be used in the search for an interim superintendent is a welcome change from previous approaches the school board has taken, including the decision to transfer Hayden into the COO role.

In moving Hayden, the board essentially created a $150,000-a-year position as a landing spot for its superintendent with little to no public discussion and no consideration of other candidates for the role.

On May 11, the board announced that Hayden would be stepping aside as superintendent and moving into the newly created chief operating officer role. At the time, the board did not offer much explanation of the move and refused to discuss details, such as the salary for the new position. The board was scheduled to approve a new contract for Hayden May 17, but a public outcry over the secrecy surrounding the move prompted the board to postpone contract approval.

On May 21, the board did approve Hayden’s new contract, despite lengthy public comment critical of how the move was handled. Hayden, who is paid $205,000 as superintendent, has not commented on his job change. The board has not said whether the move was initiated by the district or at Hayden’s request.

The process being used in the interim superintendent search is consistent with previous superintendent searches and gives the district staff and members of the public awareness of the candidates for the position so that they can, if so desired, provide input to school board members prior to the decision. Hopefully, it’s also an indication that the way the board handled the Hayden move was an aberration and not the norm for future personnel moves.