RAYMOND/WINDHAM — RSU 14 has begun interviewing candidates for the school superintendent position, which will be vacated by Sandy Prince in June, and hopes to have a new superintendent in place next month.

The position closed on March 29, and the search committee received six applicants. They interviewed three of them April 25.

The search committee is comprised of members of the Raymond Selectboard, Windham Town Council, central office and School Board as well as teachers, administrators and parents, according to School Board Chairman Jani Cummings.

The committee will now select two finalists, who will be interviewed by the entire School Board, and the board will then make the final selection.

Cummings said she hopes to have the new superintendent in place by mid-May “because there’s so much to do.”

She was pleased with the number of applicants.

“We were expecting up to 10. There are 10 other school districts in the state that are looking for superintendents,” she said.

A survey sent to residents in both Windham and Raymond revealed that people are “looking for someone that is knowledgeable about kids’ needs, aware of social factors and wants to keep it on an even keel. Someone who’s going to be here for the long haul and somebody who is aware of staff needs, community needs, someone who’s involved in the community,” Cummings said.

She said the committee is taking its time and ensuring the process is done well: “It has been a very thoughtful process, we were very deliberate and it was an intense and lengthy process. We want this to be a successful endeavor. We want someone as committed to the district as we are.”

In addition to finding a new superintendent for the district, Cummings said, the committee’s goal is “to heal the communities.”

Raymond residents voted 171-128 last summer to begin the process of withdrawing from RSU 14. Among reasons cited for the effort are district costs, a belief that RSU 14 is not living up to a cost-sharing agreement and a sense that school officials are unwilling to discuss these concerns.

“We want the communities to be connected. We’re committed to making it one district,” Cummings said.

Jane Vaughan can be reached at 780-9103 or at jvaughan@keepmecurrent.com.

RSU 14 Superintendent Sandy Prince is retiring in June after 16 years in the position.