The Isle of Wight County School Board should be commended for its handling of the vacancy in the Carrsville District caused by Kenneth Bunch’s resignation. The board elected to hold a public hearing to solicit nominees for appointment to the seat and in doing so received three qualified candidates.

The Board of Supervisors, however, all but excluded the public from its decision to appoint Bunch to replace Phillip Bradshaw, who resigned after taking a job with the school division.

In a letter to the editor, Smithfield District Supervisor Al Casteen wrote that even he had no input in the decision to appoint Bunch to the seat. Bradshaw had originally said his resignation would be effective Nov. 30, but he instead resigned during the board’s Nov. 18 meeting. Bunch was appointed to the seat at the same meeting.

This is in no way a jab at Bunch, an honorable public servant who has served the county for many years, or his qualifications to serve on the board. But the way his appointment was handled didn’t seem very open, and that’s unfortunate.