The Dawson-Bryant Board of Education has begun the process of finding a new leader for the schools and it is vital the district promotes transparency in the selection process.

Superintendent Dennis DeCamp announced that he plans to retire at the end of June because of changes to the state retirement program.

Finding the right individual to guide the district through challenging times for public education will certainly be the biggest decision the school board members make.

A good choice will pave the way for years — or even decades — of success. A bad candidate could erase all the recent victories and set the district back years.

The taxpayers and the parents in the district deserve to be kept in the loop. We urge the board to publicly release the names of all candidates who apply for the job.

As The Tribune has done with recent Lawrence County school superintendent vacancies, the newspaper will request these through a public information request protected under the Freedom of Information Act if necessary.

It is important that the public has the opportunity to see the same information their elected representatives on the school board does.

This openness and transparency helps prevent playing politics, cronyism and helps ensure a selection process that holds board members accountable.

Decisions of this magnitude are never easy but doing so when the information is shared openly makes a big difference.