The Selma City Board of Education determined Tuesday the qualifications and salary they plan to offer the system’s next superintendent.

The board arrived at each decision with two separate unanimous votes. Brenda Obomanu was absent for the votes.

The job was advertised Wednesday on SelmaCitySchools.org.

With its first vote, the board approved a recommendation that the leader meet the state’s requirements and reside in the Selma-Dallas County area. A master’s degree will be required and a doctorate is preferred.

With the second vote, the board set a negotiable salary range of $105,000 to $130,000 with benefits.

“I’m pleased that the board has done the preliminary things that [Alabama Association of School Boards] needed them to do, such as developing those basic qualifications and the basic salary structure and so forth,” acting Selma Superintendent of Education Larry DiChiara said. “Today was the first day that they were supposed to post the advertisement. Had the board not done they needed to do that would have been delayed.”

Campbell said the Alabama law requires that the new superintendent be chosen for general fitness and character; hold a degree from a recognized college or university; be knowledgeable in school administration; have three successful years of experience as a principal, teacher, supervisor or superintendent within the last five years; and have the appropriate certification to served as a superintendent in Alabama.

DiChiara announced Wednesday the projected timeline for the hiring process provided by the AASB, the group the board voted to assist in the search for DiChiara’s replacement.

From now until Jan. 25, the public is encouraged to fill out an online survey found at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SelmaSearch.

AASB will hosts stakeholder meetings Jan. 22 and has already interviewed each board member individually about their thoughts on what should be expected of their next leader.

The goal is to deliver the survey results to the board by Jan. 27 with the application deadline following on Feb. 14.

The applicants will be screened around Feb. 17. An AASB committee will present to the board the lists of finalists by Feb. 24 with public interviews conducted the week of March 2 to 6.

“As far as know, the interviews that are scheduled for the March 2 through the 6 will more than likely be in a location where the public will be able to be a part of that,” DiChiara said. “Now, the board will be the ones doing the interview. But I’m sure that based on the survey that we get back, some of the questions may be gleaned from suggestions in the community.”

During the week of March 9 to 16, references will be checked, site visits may take place and contract negotiations will be made.

“Depending on their situation, we would love for [the new superintendent] to be here by April 21 but no later than June 1,” DiChiara said.

With Obomanu absent, the board also made a unanimous vote Tuesday in favor of the Energy Systems Group conducting an audit within the Selma City School system to determine ways to save on energy costs.

ESG first approached the board in December about contracting with the system to save 25 percent of its annual utility costs by making infrastructure improvements.

The district has spent more than $1.1 million on electric and natural gas utility costs within the last year, so they could potentially save about $250,000 a year, ESG said.

If the updates save the school the amount ESG guaranteed, the board can use the money they have accumulated through savings to repay the loan they received for the project.

If the doesn’t save the expected amount, the company will pay the school district the difference.

“No upfront money has to come out of our pocket. We do not pay the company for their service,” DiChiara said in December.

“Basically, they become contractors and any time you’re a contractor and go in and do any kind of construction or maintenance in a building, you get a percentage of the costs to do that upgrade.”