The North Kitsap School District was going to have a conversation in private but common sense prevailed.

At 5 p.m. on Aug. 12, the board was going to meet behind closed doors to, as they put it on their published agenda: “meet with district administrators regarding the Board’s self-evaluation.”

For those unfamiliar with open meetings laws, there are exactly three reasons a public board can hold a closed-door session: pending litigation, real property acquisition and personnel matters.

A fireside chat between administrators and board members doesn’t fit the bill.

So we called them on it.

In prior years, this conversation was held at board retreats to which the public was invited. That’s the way it should be.

Spurred on by the advice of Bill Will, general manager of the Washington Newspaper Publisher’s Association, who said a board self-evaluation is “absolutely not a valid reason for an executive session,” we called Superintendent Rick Jones to question the validity and legality of this being a closed-door discussion.

After discussing the situation with the board’s attorney, Jones decided “it was a gray area” and it was best to error on the side of openness. The session was cancelled Thursday afternoon.

We agree, as to shut the public out by choice rather than necessity is just wrong.