The Austin American-Statesman has used public records to shed light on the Austin school district's superintendent search. They reported today on what they learned from the notes from candidate interviews.

The school district had initially sought to withhold those records, the newspaper reports, and more documents should be released within days.

The American-Statesman requested the documents through the Texas Public Information Act. State law allows school districts to withhold superintendent candidate names. But Attorney General Greg Abbott's office said Austin officials could not justify withholding records by arguing that "detective work" could lead to a candidate's identification.

The documents offer insight into what board members were concerned about and what they wanted to accomplish with their new hire. Typed and handwritten questions show officials asked candidates how they would reach out to English-language learners, their thoughts on merit pay and their experience with closing schools, middle school reform and fundraising.

The selection process for school chiefs in Texas has been criticized for its secretive nature. School districts argue they can't attract top talent without keeping names secret, a stance that shuts the public out of what should be a public process. Parents, students and taxpayers don't know who will oversee learning in their school district until it's already been decided.

Here's hoping for more stories like the Statesman's that highlight this issue.