Public service is often a thankless job.

The time committed by those serving on borough councils, school boards, planning commissions and other public entities can be seemingly endless. More often than not, it is done with the goal of making one’s community a better place to live and work not just for that person’s family, but for their neighbors and friends.

It can also be a figurative hot seat, with elected officials bearing the brunt of anger from residents over issues like road maintenance and taxes.

The Mars School Board has certainly taken its share of heat from the community over the past few years. Be it decisions on school personnel, the state of the district’s special education program or any number of other issues, board meetings are often overflowing.

For a period of time, meetings needed to be moved to a larger space, with residents forcefully sharing their opinions on the topic du jour.

That discussion seemingly started long before meetings even began, with social media offering a forum for residents to make their voice heard. By the time meetings would get under way, some of those voicing their opinions were beyond outraged at a particular topic, many times based on what would turn out to be misinformation or a lack of understanding.

These scenes should serve as a cautionary tale to the Mars community, as well as those running for the five open positions on the school board this spring. Ten people are vying for those seats, and four new members are guaranteed after several current members chose not to seek re-election.

Much change is inevitably coming to the district, where discussions on finances, leadership and other matters will play out in the next year. We hope the board listens to the pleas of many public residents and promises of some candidates to be more open and transparent with the community in an effort to create a more trustworthy relationship. The rumor mill is impossible to control, but deeper explanation on policy and process could go a long way to quelling residents’ fears.

Similarly, we also hope members of the community give the board and district leadership a chance, as the turnover in membership will also bring some growing pains. It will be important to remember that while campaign promises may sound nice, the wheels of government and the nature of issues involving children can make transparency and progress challenging.

It is crucial for both the public and elected officials to remember that, in this instance, the most important thing is clear: the children. It is also imperative that individuals and factions recognize that others are equally as passionate about the direction of the district because they care about those children and making sure they have the best educational experience possible.

Perhaps this election season is not just a chance for change within the Mars School District, but in the community in general.