Two searches and one appointment later, the Martha’s Vineyard public school district is back to square one in its search for a new director of student support services, following the abrupt departure of the person chosen for the job.

Lynn Silva, a Maine educator who was appointed to the job in May, resigned four days after starting on July 1, citing personal and health reasons, according to Vineyard schools superintendent Dr. James H. Weiss. She was to replace Dan Seklecki, who retired after holding the position for 30 years.

Mr. Weiss told the Gazette that the school district will renew the search for a replacement in the spring.

In the meantime, he said, West Tisbury School assistant principal Donna Lowell-Bettencourt has been named interim director for the next year. Mr. Weiss said Ms. Lowell-Bettencourt has the appropriate credentials and licenses for the job, and she will start in the position next Monday.

“It’s a very difficult position to fill,” he said.

Mr. Weiss said he will work with West Tisbury principal Mike Halt to find an interim replacement for Ms. Lowell-Bettencourt, with candidates from inside and outside the district under consideration.

“Clearly, we need someone who can keep the numerous SPED programs moving forward, handle some of the more challenging cases and provide leadership for our highly professional special education staff,” Mr. Weiss wrote in an e-mail to Island educators. He called Ms. Silva’s departure “surprising and rapid.”

Mr. Seklecki will work with Ms. Lowell-Bettencourt to make the transition as smooth as possible, he said.

The school district first started the search for a new director of student support services last November, and after failing to find any viable candidates, Mr. Seklecki agreed to push back his retirement date from January to July. A second search proved more successful, yielding five candidates that were narrowed to two. After an in-person interview and a site visit to Maine via Skype, Ms. Silva was selected, and the All-Island School Committee approved the appointment in May.

Mr. Weiss told the Gazette that the district may revise its search process. “We’re going to give that some consideration as to how we move forward” he said.