Every politician says they put the people they represent and the greater good first, but three Rock Hill School board members showed that they mean it.

In part thanks to the willingness to change their votes by two board members, the school district will be able to put another lawsuit behind it and start the year with a clean slate.

Outgoing board members Ora Cox and Rich Donohue were joined by Denny Hankins, who was re-elected to the board, in recently voting 3-1 to drop a lawsuit against Lavetta Sites, Paul R. Johnson and and Wanda Jenkins that was seeking to recoup money the group spent in connection with attempts to remove Superintendent Lloyd Evans.

All three were removed from office by an earlier lawsuit for misconduct but have since been re-elected to the board.

Donohue and Cox had supported the attempt to recoup some of the money the prior board spent. Besides Hankins, the two men showed some class and willingness to put the district first by deciding to change their votes.

The biggest problem with the lawsuit was that, if not halted by the outgoing board, is that it would have been like a runaway train.

Even if all five members of the incoming board agreed that it wasn’t in the best interest of the district, they would have been powerless to stop it since three of the members were named and would have had to abstain.

This new board, which includes political newcomer Keith Roth, has the opportunity to start with somewhat of a clean slate and put behind it some of the political battles that have plagued the district in the past.

The new board, and most especially the members who were removed by the lawsuit, must hold themselves to a higher standard and make sure everything they do is beyond reproach.

Now is the time to cease the arguments of who is right or wrong and put the children first. This latest move was an example of that and hopefully a sign of things to come.