The Board of Education appointed Kristal Boyd to fill the position vacated by Barb Pietrangelo at the conclusion of a board meeting last Thursday. It took place in person and over Zoom at Ferry and Voyager Elementary school. Twelve people applied for the position and from there, the board selected five to be interviewed at Thursday’s meeting.

After all the interviews, the board tallied up each candidate’s score and appointed the one with the highest number. Boyd, a previous Grand Haven teacher and active community member, won by just two points, reaching 308 out of 360.

“She had a true passion for the school district,” Superintendent Scott Grimes said. “She’s not afraid to express her opinions, yet can respect and listen to other people’s opinions that don’t agree with hers. To me, that’s a great attribute to have.”

Although Boyd scored the highest, the board was pleased with all of the candidates.

“I think they all did wonderfully,” board member Nichol Stack said.

Boyd will take an oath of office and be appointed to the Board of Education immediately.