The board has decided to do all preliminary interviews in a pair of sessions that are open to the public, scheduled for next week. The previously handpicked panel of community members also will attend both meetings.

Only board members may ask questions.

Auburn resident Daniel May, who challenged the partly closed meeting under the state’s Open Meetings Act, said Tuesday that he was pleased with the board’s Monday night decision.

“They did fall down on the side of transparency,” May said.

He said he was prepared to pursue legal avenues to change the process.

“They didn’t want to go to court,” he said. “If they are going to do it, let’s do it so it’s open to the public. It was good to see.”

May’s position was supported by Tim Ford, the state’s open-government ombudsman in the attorney general’s office. He told The News Tribune last week that in his opinion a school board can meet in closed session to interview candidates, but that inviting a select group of community members violates the spirit of the law.

Ford conceded that executive sessions are a legal gray area and there is little case law on them.

His opinion, however, weighed heavily with School Board members, who have said they want their superintendent search process to be as open as possible.

Auburn School District attorney Curtis Leonard said he laid out for the board Monday night a number of options that were legally defensible: closed meetings with the board only, closed meetings with the board and a select panel of residents, and fully open meetings.

Dennis Ray, president of the district’s search firm, Northwest Leadership Associates of Spokane, said Tuesday that he disagrees with Ford. He said he still feels a closed meeting that includes a panel of residents was the best way for the board to receive candid opinions from a cross section of the community.

An open meeting by itself doesn’t ensure a broad range of views, Ray said.

He said he had no problem with the School Board’s decision, but added that he hated to see public policy made under threat of a lawsuit.

Ray said that from the preliminary six candidates the board will choose a smaller number of finalists for further community interviews and public forums.

The district is looking to replace Linda Cowan, the longtime superintendent who announced her retirement in January.

Mike Archbold: 253-597-8692

public interviews in TWO sessions

What: Open public interviews with the six preliminary Auburn school superintendent candidates

When: Next Tuesday and Wednesday beginning at 3:30 p.m.

Where: School district office, 915 Fourth St. N.E.