By Derrick ForsytheRecord Staff WriterThe Wright City R-II school board will narrow its pool of candidates this week to replace outgoing Superintendent Chris Gaines, whose tenure ends on June 30.The school board announced at its monthly meeting on Tuesday that a special closed session meeting will be held Thursday, March 26, to review the field of applicants.President Alice Klem says the R-II board will review around 20 candidates recommended by the Missouri School Boards’ Association, who assisted the district in the search.“After we hear their qualifications, we’re going to consider five or six of those to interview in moving forward,” said Klem.While Gaines still has three more months on his contract, the district officials said they hope to expedite the hiring process with many educators making commitments around this time of year.“We want to hire as soon as possible,” said Klem. “People are taking jobs now, so if we wait we’re going to lose our best applicants.”She says the district is seeking an experienced administrator who will be able to maintain the district’s standards within the constraints of the tax base.“Our No. 1 priority is that we need someone who is going to be able to work within the budget and continue to support the programs that we have going,” said Klem.Gaines, who announced his departure in early February, has been with the district for seven years. He was in the first year of a three-year contract, which was set to end June 30, 2017.His annual salary for this year is $144,664.Gaines will begin his new role as superintendent of Mehlville School District in south St. Louis County on July 1.R-II board to narrow field of candidates