NATCHEZ — The Natchez-Adams School Board members will meet today to begin the process of filling the top leadership position for the Natchez-Adams School District — superintendent.

Today’s meeting will follow Monday’s open discussion in which community leaders — including school and business leaders and elected officials —confronted problems in local public education and brainstormed possible solutions.

Many leaders at Monday’s meeting said public input and support would go a long way to improving education for all students in the community.

NASD School Board President Wayne Barnett said the school board wants public on outlining qualifications the next superintendent should have.

Board members will decide at today’s 4:30 p.m. meeting in the Braden board room if they want to seek help in hiring a superintendent from the Mississippi School Board Association.

“They’ll come in and help us survey the community to see what the community wants in a superintendent,” Barnett said.

In addition, representatives will help the board compile a list of the members’ own list of qualities they want to see in candidates.

Barnett said the MSBA can host community meetings to gauge what the public wants from a new superintendent.

Barnett said public involvement in the process will also help target candidates.

“It’s helpful for us to know what the community wants and it will be helpful for respective candidates to know what we want,” Barnett said.

Barnett said today’s meeting will not contain public input. The board will simply decide if authorizing the MSBA to aid in the search is the direction in which the district was to go.

The MSBA is currently aiding superintendent searches for school districts in Moss Point, Starkville, Columbus, Oxford and Tupelo.

Barnett said MSBA Executive Director Michael Waldrop told the board at a recent retreat that the average term of a superintendent in Mississippi is 3.5 years.

Joyce Johnson is currently serving as interim superintendent for the district. Her six-month term will expire at the end of December.

The board voted Jan. 20 not to renew former Superintendent Anthony Morris’ contract, which expired June 30.

Morris served as NASD superintendent for eight years.

Following a hearing Morris requested to challenge the initial vote, board members unanimously voted Aug. 12 to deny Morris’ appeal of their initial decision and uphold nonrenewal of his contract.