ROYAL CITY — The Royal School District has begun its search for a new superintendent. The process is expected to take four months, according to district business manager David Andra.

Part of the process is community input. The first first chance for that to happen will occur on Nov. 17.

“The first step in the process is to secure information about Royal School District’s needs,” Andra said.

To that end, the Royal School Board has scheduled a series of meetings with the school district staff throughout the day of Nov. 17. The day will conclude with a meeting for community members in the high school library at 7 p.m.

According to Andra, these input meetings are designed to: answer questions about the search process; identify the strengths of the Royal School District; determine the most important challenges facing the district in the next 2-3 years and elicit the personal and professional expectations for the new superintendent.

All meetings will be conducted by Lloyd Olson, superintendent search consultant with Northwest Leadership Associates. He has been hired to assist the board with its task of finding a new superintendent.

The start of the search should put to rest rumors swirling around the community that current Superintendent Rose Search was not leaving the job after all.

The rumors were so rampant nearing this fall’s elections that school board President Bob Murphy and Search felt it necessary to reiterate that decision at the board meeting of Oct. 20.

The board anticipates hiring a new superintendent in May.