By ANDY GARDNER

MASSENA -- BOCES Superintendent Thomas R. Burns told the Board of Education Monday night that a permanent replacement for interim Superintendent of Schools William Crist should be in place by March 3.

Crist was appointed June 20 for the 2013-14 year and began duties on Aug. 1 at a salary of $143,000 per year.

Burns said the board should “build their schedule backwards” when looking for the new administrative head, starting with the date they want the person in place. The new district head will make up to $150,000 depending on past experience, Board President John Boyce said.

Burns said the job posting should go out by the beginning of next month, it will be advertised online through Putnam-Westchester BOCES and with the New York State School Boards Association.

“You should get significantly more candidates using online services,” Burns said, adding that he anticipates 30 to 40 responses and he advised the board to select an initial pool of five or six.

“The board does the initial interviews,” Burns said, adding that this is because the superintendent has a unique contract in that the person works for the school board.

From there, Burns said the board should narrow the candidates to two to four semi-finalists.

“That’s where you really put them through their paces,” according to Burns. He noted at this point, stakeholder groups within the district should be identified and solicited for feedback. The board would also at this stage do reference and background checks. They could also visit the candidates’ districts and see what they have done first-hand, as well as talk to their current co-workers.

Boyce said the board will have a preference toward a district resident, but will not exclude a candidate based on where they live.

“We would prefer it, but it’s not going to be an absolute dealbreaker,” Boyce stated, adding that the candidate must meet state certification requirements.

Board member Loren Fountain said the candidate must have a thorough understanding of the APPR process, which the state uses to rank teachers and administrators.