The Coupeville School District wants a new superintendent in a hurry.

The school board set May 11 as the deadline for hiring a new superintendent to replace Bill Myhr, who headed Coupeville schools for five years.

Kathleen Anderson, school board president, said the board wants to move fast in order to get high-quality candidates before they commit to somewhere else.

The school board will approve an $8,000 contract with John Fotheringham, a consultant based in Mount Vernon, to conduct the superintendent search. That approval should come during the next board meeting.

The school board also set a timeline to conduct interviews and get public comment about the position and the potential candidates.

The school district is passing out a questionnaire to staff and residents about the superintendent position. That information will be used to help determine the qualifications and profile for the position.

Myhr submitted his resignation this week. He is moving to Arizona where he accepted a superintendent position with the Fountain Hills School District.

Anderson said the vacant position is currently advertised on the Washington Association of School Administrators’ Web site and the Washington School Directors’ Association Web site.

A quick timeline has been set to fill Myhr’s position. Officials will collect input and surveys about the position until April 28.

The application deadline is April 20 and Fotheringham will have recommendations ready for the board’s consideration on May 2.

Anderson said she hopes there will be six candidates that will go through preliminary interviews.

That initial pool of candidates will be winnowed to three. Those finalists will visit Coupeville schools the following week and the school board will deliberate on which candidate to select on May 9.

Even though he submitted his resignation, Myhr will continue his duties until June 30.

Anderson said that if a qualified candidate isn’t chosen from the upcoming search, then the consultant will help find an interim superintendent who would serve until a permanent one is found.