By Mike Anthony
Executive Editor
news1@callnewspapers.com

The Lindbergh Board of Education is scheduled to meet in closed session today to begin interviewing candidates to succeed Superintendent Jim Simpson, who is retiring at the end of the current school year.
Board members were set to meet from 1:30 to 6:45 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3, at the Hilton St. Louis Frontenac to interview candidates.
The board met Nov. 20 in closed session to begin reviewing the applications of the 33 candidates who have applied for the superintendent’s post.
The candidates include 14 sitting superintendents and 14 assistant superintendents, according to information released by the district. The applicants — 31 men and two women — come from nine states, including Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Tennessee, Arizona, Wyoming, Mississippi and South Dakota.
The deadline to apply for the job originally was Friday, Nov. 10, but was extended to Tuesday, Nov. 14, to allow some additional candidates who were in the process of applying to complete their applications and be included in the candidate pool.
The job was posted in mid-October and sets a salary range of $200,000 to $240,000 for the position. Board members are seeking a candidate who has a minimum of two to three years of experience as a central office administrator.
Candidates also will be required to hold a superintendent’s certificate and a doctorate degree, according to the job posting.
A second closed session to interview candidates is scheduled from 3:45 to 8:45 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 5, at the Hilton St. Louis Frontenac.
Brent Underwood, a consultant with the Missouri School Boards’ Association, is facilitating the search for Simpson’s successor. Board members voted unanimously Oct. 9 to hire the MSBA to facilitate the search.
Underwood retired in 2009 as superintendent of the Webster Groves School District. Before that, he served in the Mehlville School District as south area superintendent.
The MSBA’s fee will be 8 percent of the initial salary of the new superintendent and up to $2,500 in reimbursable expenses.
Simpson has served as superintendent since July 1, 2008. He announced in January 2016 that he will retire at the end of the 2017-2018 school year.
Simpson succeeded Superintendent Jim Sandfort, who announced in April 2006 that he would retire at the end of the 2007-2008 school year, after serving as superintendent since 1991.
In January 2007, the school board voted to hire Ray and Associates to facilitate the search for Sandfort’s successor. The district received 57 applications to fill the superintendent’s post being vacated by Sandfort.
During a Jan. 28, 2008, closed session, board members met with Ray and Associates and narrowed down the list of candidates to 10 semifinalists.
The 10 semifinalists, including Simpson of Joplin, came from the states of Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri.
During a series of closed sessions at the Hilton St. Louis Frontenac in February 2008, board members interviewed the 10 semifinalists. Simpson’s hiring as superintendent was announced by the board on Feb. 12, 2008.