If everything goes according to plan, the Bremerton School Board could name the district’s new superintendent at its May 7 meeting.

At least, that’s the expectation after last night’s study session at the BSD administrative offices, where BSD Personnel Director Denise Zaske laid out a tentative timeline for the much-anticipated superintendent’s search.

“Right now we’re about two weeks behind (other school districts looking for new superintendents), but depending on how you decide to proceed we could get caught up,” Zaske said.

With members of the superintendent task force committee being named today, and the district’s facilitator scheduled to interview committee members early next week, the next step is for the board to select a search agent to help it find a new superintendent, she said.

Instead of having the district conduct the search by itself or hiring a firm to conduct the entire search, which would cost about $50,000, Zaske recommended the board use a hybrid approach, combining district resources with a search firm that works jointly with districts in their superintendent searches.

Currently, the district has about $18,000 budgeted for the search. Board member Pat Jones said he believes the board can find someone “without going up to $60,000.”

“If they are on the ball, they can find the opening,” Jones said, referring to the desire of some board members to conduct a nationwide search.

To get the search process jump-started, Zaske said the district can let the Washington State School Directors Association know the position is available with the caveat that more details will be forthcoming.

“I’ll be surprised if any available candidate doesn’t already know the position is open and are asking, ‘If you’re applying for it,'” board member Dewayne Boyd said. “Or they’re talking about what’s going on in Bremerton.”

When the board members agreed to go with the hybrid search process, Zaske said the next step is for the board to choose which search agency it wants to help the district in its search.

“I would rather go with a team than an individual,” board member Louis Mitchell said, adding that the reason the district hires professional organizations is for their expertise.

To that end, Boyd recommended the board select four or five search firms for interviews before making its final decision on Feb. 12 after it conducts interviews with the selected firms.