The past year has put a strain on public trust, with three former high-level administrators, including Runcie, getting arrested last year by a grand jury that has produced a likely scathing, but still unreleased, report about the district’s operations. Some parents felt the district mishandled issues such as masks and the reopening of schools during the pandemic. And the School Board’s decision to hire Cartwright for the permanent job, after initially saying she wasn’t eligible, angered some.