POINT PLEASANT — The Mason County Board of Education has taken a step toward finding a new superintendent of schools.

During a special meeting Monday, Dr. Howard O’Cull, executive director of the West Virginia School Board Association, presented to the Mason County Board of Education the process by which to find a superintendent.

Current superintendent Dr. Larry Parsons will be vacating the position July 1, as he was appointed by the West Virginia Board of Education to become the superintendent in Preston County following the state’s takeover of that system.

Because the current board members never have had to find a new superintendent, they asked O’Cull for help finding a new one.

O’Cull told the board that his firm assists school boards in the advertising and application process and mails the applications to the school board, but the firm does not interview or select a new superintendent. Those decisions are left up to the respective boards of education.

Prior to the posting of the vacancy, O’Cull advised the board to look at documentation such as the mission statement, job description policies, goals and improvement plans when deciding on what they want in a superintendent.

He also said that if the board members want to, they can involve the community in the search process. However, O’Cull advised them that they should advertise the position within a close timeline.

Due to state law, the board of education has to set the salary of the superintendent by May 1. O’Cull said it would be best to have a person in the position when setting the salary.

Board member Dale Shobe asked if a superintendent needed to be announced by May 1, and Teresa Warner asked if an interim could be named in case the search went beyond the deadline. O’Cull answered yes to both questions, adding that an interim superintendent can be appointed for 120 days if the board needs more time to find a permanent superintendent.

“I just want to assure the public and the employees that we will have a superintendent in place by July 1,” Warner said.

After meeting in executive session for 30 minutes, the board agreed to hire the WVSBA.

In other business:

• Board members conducted a dangerous student hearing. Parsons said the student is not considered dangerous and has been reinstated to the school system. He will be in the one-on-one program.

• Board members agreed to ratify the settlement and release agreement of a teacher who resigned.