By the beginning of next school year, the Akron-Westfield School District should have a new superintendent.

The search began after an April announcement by current superintendent Ron Flynn that he would resign following the 2008-09 school year.

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Flynn has served as A-W's superintendent since 2002.

Early on, the school board discussed two options: hiring a new superintendent or sharing a superintendent with West Sioux Community School District.

West Sioux is the neighboring district to the north, with school campuses in Hawarden and Ireton.

After discussion and meeting with some West Sioux School Board members, the A-W school board decided to eliminate that option, at least for now, according to A-W school board president, Jim Black.

"We were just considering it as a possible cost savings," Black said.

Flynn, the current superintendent said, in his opinion, A-W should have its own superintendent at this point.

"With the size of the schools, I don't think it'd work. Usually when schools share a superintendent, one school is pretty small and the other is the size of Akron-Westfield," he said.

One superintendent coordinating with two school boards and two separate board meetings, plus any committees, could be a challenge, Flynn added.

"If you were at one place a little more than another or if people thought you were, it might be perceived as favoritism," he said.

A shared superintendent might work if one school district was consolidated into the other, he noted.

"But that hasn't been talked about," he added. "I can see (a shared superintendent) working for a situation where there are two smaller schools when neither can afford a superintendent on their own."

For A-W, sharing a superintendent with another district could be a possibility for the board to discuss again years down the road, Black said.

But for now, the A-W school board is looking for a new superintendent.

The board hired G. Tryon and Associates to conduct the search.

The firm, from Johnston, Iowa, was chosen out of a pool of several companies.

"The thing that stood out about them is they're a state firm, and they basically do all their searches within Iowa," Black said.

Currently G. Tryon and Associates is calling for applicants for the A-W position.

The job description is available on the company's website: www.gtryon.com.

Applications must be received by Dec. 12, according to the website. The company's addresses and application forms are also available at that site.

By Jan. 7, the company will hand over all completed applications to the A-W Board of Education. The board will choose four or five applicants for initial interviews.

Those first interviews with the school board will take place around Jan. 24, then candidates will interview with five groups: several high school students, teachers, support staff like secretaries and janitors, parents/community representatives and administrators. The school board will also participate in these interviews.

The target date to pick a new superintendent is Jan. 29.

"The new superintendent will start July 1, 2009, and be here for the beginning of the new school year," said school board secretary Jodi Thompson.

A-W's current superintendent, Flynn, said he plans to stay in the field of education after finishing this year at the district.