Five members of the Rock Hill Schools community had a tough decision to make but they allowed all the district’s residents to be part of the process.

The members of the Rock Hill Board of Education were faced with the daunting task of finding a leader for the school system, seeking to replace superintendent Lloyd Evans who had led the district for nearly three decades.

That task is nearly completed now that the board has narrowed its more than 20 candidates down to two longtime educators — Brenda Haas and Wes Hairston. But during the process the district has set the bar and led by example when it comes to transparency in how it operates and establishing accountability for whom the board ultimately chooses.

These five board members — Lavetta Sites, Paul R. Johnson, Dennie Hankins, Wanda Jenkins and Keith Roth — all should be commended for their efforts to ensure that the public had all the information that could be made public and had the opportunity for input.

The district complied with a request by this newspaper to release the names and resumes of all its applicants for the position. The board did so in a timely manner.

Next, the board released its finalist list, outlined the interview timeline and process and ultimately released the names of the two top choices for this crucial position that can help guided the district for years to come.

We hope to see all school districts and other government bodies in Lawrence County follow Rock Hill’s positive example when it comes to hiring of key personnel.

Did the school board make the right choices in narrowing it to these two candidates? That is ultimately up to the voters of the district to decide.

But thankfully they have the information needed to make an informed decision.