The Warren County R-III School Board is asking the public to fill out a survey to see what they are looking for in the district’s next superintendent. Patrons can rate and prioritize 10 character traits that cover areas such as fiscal management, oral and written communications, leadership, moral standards, community relations, overall experience, curriculum development and accessibility. Space is provided for additional comments. In September, current R-III Superintendent Dr. John Long announced he was resigning at the end of the 2010-11 school year. The survey is available on the district Web site (www.warrencor3.org) on the right side of the home page. The survey deadline is Nov. 15. “It gives guidance on what the patrons want in a superintendent,” said Teresa Scott, school board president. “We want to get the information out to the community.” Scott said the seven-member school board filled out a survey and hopes results are comparable to the public. “If not, we need to look at why,” she said. The survey is being conducted by the Missouri School Board Association (MSBA), of which the school board has hired to assist the district in its search. The district hopes to have a new hire made by the end of December. The new superintendent’s first official day will be July 1, 2011. John Boise, MSBA representative, said he is scheduled to meet with the school board Nov. 30 to review all applications. From there, he said the first round of interviews should begin the first week of December. According to a job posting, the salary for the new superintendent will range from $110,000 to $150,000 based on experience. The initial contract will likely be for two years. Three years of central office experience and a superintendent’s certificate is required. A doctorate degree is preferred. Scott said the school board is not looking for a first-time superintendent to lead the 3,035-student district, though someone who has experience as an assistant superintendent would be considered. The fee for which the district will pay MSBA for conducting the superintendent search has yet to be finalized. Boise said the fee usually is 8 percent of the superintendent’s first-year salary. He said MSBA assists in 30 to 35 searches annually. Long’s departure wasn’t surprising since the school board voted 4-3 in April to not extend his contract. At that time, he was asking for his salary to be frozen and for his contract to be extended by a year. He is currently being paid $157,000 annually, a $6,000 increase from the prior school year. In Long’s first year in the district, he was earning $120,000.