Sound Off is a public forum. Articles are selected from letters to the editor or may be written specifically for this feature. Today, former South Kitsap School District board member Chris Lemke laments the district’s recent actions in hiring a new school superintendent.

I feel that the misguided/influenced school board/personnel director search process for a new South Kitsap school superintendent led to the early resignation of Bev Cheney, the current superintendent.

There are no winners in this process.

The community, students, staff and Dr. Cheney all will pay a price for the bad selection process. Cheney was selected after a competitive hiring process and she has done an excellent job of restoring trust and building high standards for the district.

She will be missed by many.

The school board, while claiming to use a transparent process, was anything but. A quote from the school board president sums things up remarkably welll: “Life isn’t always fair.”

The non-competitive process useed ensured the board got its man without due process or consideration of finding the very best for the district, students of community.

Dr. Cheney, thank you so much for your honesty, leadership and direction. You will be missed.