The Selma City Schools Board of Education wants the public’s input on the search for the system’s next superintendent.

After a low turnout for an initial meeting, the Alabama Association of School Boards announced Wednesday that it’s scheduling another stakeholder meeting.

Open to the public, the Feb. 5 meeting will help AASB and the board of education determine what the community wants in a superintendent.

The meeting will be from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at the Selma High School library auditorium.

“We promised the public that it would be an open and transparent process, and that AASB was going to do a fair search,” Acting Selma City Superintendent of Education Larry DiChiara said. “Obviously, the community would like to at least give their input as to what’s important to them and what kind of characteristics they would like for this new superintendent to have.”

AASB representatives will ask attendees what skills they think the next superintendent needs and what are some of the challenges he or she will face once hired.

DiChiara said AASB and Selma City Schools have informed the public about the meeting in numerous ways to ensure that the community didn’t feel as if they were not included.

He said they have advertised the first meeting, which had approximately 35 community members, at two board meetings, posted it on the system’s website, informed the parents via phone, sent out flyers to all district employees and contacted local media.

“It’s important that the community have confidence in the process just because of the history and some of the ill feelings that have happened in the past and some of the mistrust,” DiChiara said. “It’s important that they feel like everything has been done out in the open.”

“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 in a previous interview.