Six weeks before the start of the next school term, it is all but official that Interim Supt. Leslie Lockhart will remain in office throughout the coming year.

Clues are so obvious that Sherlock Holmes, even in his present catatonic state, could instantly deduce the outcome.

Clue No. 1 – Search for a successor to the shoved-out Dr. Josh Arnold has not begun. Nor has it even been preliminarily organized.

“My expectation,” said School Board member Dr. Steve Levin, “is that Leslie will be our interim superintendent for this school year.

“We will set up a schedule (later) to find a permanent superintendent for the following school year.”

When the School Board chose Ms. Lockhart last month, Dr. Levin characterized her in sterling terms.

“We need someone who has unquestioned integrity, unquestioned respect for the employees and the respect of the employees,” he said.

This is excellent news for the popular Ms. Lockhart and her many supporters.

“Leslie has plenty of good experience in the District,” Dr. Levin said. “She is smart and she is capable. She has been doing a very important for us” as the assistant superintendent in charge of human resources.

“Making sure we hire the right people is one of the most important jobs in the District. We clearly have a lot of faith in her already. She was the obvious choice for interim.”

Tapping Ms. Lockhart marked a major public relations recovery for a School District that stunningly dismissed Dr. Arnold for reasons that remain clouded.

Nineteen years in the School District, she understands the school map, the mores and all of the significant players.

There is no question Ms. Lockhart is in a plum position.

Her job performance this summer and into the new semester may help to obviate the need for the School District to undertake an expensive, drawn-out search process