It was fitting timing, to be sure.

On the day the Bainbridge Island School Board picked Peter Bang-Knudsen to become the next superintendent of Bainbridge public schools, the state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction announced that two island schools had won Washington Achievement Awards.

Ordway Elementary and Captain Johnston Blakely Elementary were among a select group of 258 top-performing schools honored; Ordway for overall excellence, high progress and math growth, and Blakely, for overall excellence and English language instruction.

The following day, U.S. News & World Report announced its annual list of best high schools in the country, and Bainbridge High earned a national gold medal. BHS was named the fifth-best high school in Washington — a jump up from the No. 7 position it has owned for the previous two years. Nationwide, out of almost 20,000 public high schools, it was listed this year at No. 274 (up from No. 321).

The school board selected Bang-Knudsen on a 4-1 vote as the best qualified for the position from a talented pool of applicants. He will replace Superintendent Faith Chapel, who has led the district as chief of public schools for seven years, after she retires in June.

The search for a new superintendent went from coast to coast, and when finalists were announced, there was talk about the benefits of bringing in an “outsider” who would come to Bainbridge with different ideas and perspectives, versus an “insider” who has been a part of the current district administration for years. Bang-Knudsen, who grew up on Bainbridge, has been the associate superintendent of administrative services since 2010.

It’s true that the district has had its share of troubles and tribulations over the years — declining enrollment, the tension between tight budgets and the needs of its employees, lawsuits over bullying incidents, and so on — as have most school districts. But the district has also had great triumphs in student achievement, improved facilities and other areas, success that has been underscored by the recognition in recent weeks at the state and national level.

School Board President Mev Hoberg praised Bang-Knudsen for his “vision, passion, student focus and dedication to continuous improvement and a desire for a collaborative leadership style.”

And, in some ways, his selection as superintendent is an acknowledgment that the leadership provided by Chapel has put the district on the right path, and that progress will be sustained and enhanced by Bang-Knudsen, one of the leaders on the team responsible for the success of our schools.

We applaud the school board for its sound and sagacious decision.