NATCHEZ — The future superintendent of the Natchez-Adams School District can’t be expected to walk on water or transform into a caped superhero via phone booth, school board members agreed.

But during a specially called meeting Monday, board members at least tried to pin down the wants and needs of school board members, NASD educators and the community into 10-bullet-point-long wish list.

Those qualifications will be sent to the Mississippi School Boards Association, the group the district hired to help with the search. MSBA representatives will plug the list into a brochure to bait potential candidates.

Applicants for a new superintendent will be tentatively due on Feb. 15, the board decided.

Board members carefully chose words in their qualification list that demonstrated the need to address real problems in the district without alienating less conventional choices.

“We’ve got to have someone who knows what to do and what we need done. We don’t want to provide (on-the-job training),” board member Benny Wright said.

While it would be a plus for the new superintendent to have all the strengths they listed in addition to a doctorate degree in education, most board members said they remain open-minded.

“It would be nice to have Superman to come save us all,” board member Tim Blalock said.

But Blalock, as well as other members, said the qualifications should not eliminate potential candidates outside the educational field, such as a former business CEO or military retiree.

“We need someone with educational experience and some kind of perception and understanding of tools and technology to get it done,” Blalock said.

Those perceptions could be gained in other areas besides behind the desk of a school district superintendent, board members agreed.

Wright said the superintendent should be sensitive to cultural challenges presented by the minority population of NASD, which is more than 90 percent black.

“I want to make it explicitly clear I’m not recommending one race or another (for the job),” Wright said.

“But (the candidate) should have experience to deal with ‘free lunch’ statistics, and in making decisions affected by that. The person can be pink or green or whatever.”

Interim Superintendent Joyce Johnson said her four months of experience have made clear important traits for her permanent replacement include skills with technology and knowledge of budgeting.

Board member Thelma Newsome said she wanted a superintendent who can work well with the board.

“If the board and superintendent are not able to work well (together), you’re going to have a failing district,” Newsome said.

Blalock agreed and expanded on Newsome’s point.

“(The new superintendent should) work well with everybody, because we do a have a (public relations) problem,” Blalock said.

The following is a summarized list of qualifications the board unanimously agreed to submit to the MSBA:

• Skills to meet challenges of a diverse community

• Knowledge of emerging research and best curriculum practices

• Ability to enhance student performance

• Effective communication skills

• Willingness to develop a vested and active interest in community

• Commitment to “student- first” philosophy

• Inclusive of others in planning and decision making

• Ability to build consensus and commitment among individuals and groups emphasizing parental involvement

• Ability to secure and promote positive student behavior

• Ability to develop and implement a strategic plan.

Once the qualifications undergo a review process with the MASB, applications will be advertised for six weeks.

The MASB will conduct a first round of interviews, and the NASD school board will conduct a second round.

Also at Monday’s meeting, the board approved on-site training of 10 teachers through Renaissance Learning. Wright abstained. He said during discussion of the program that the administration failed to provide data to support the program’s effectiveness.

The training will be geared toward the district’s Accelerated Reader program.

Curriculum Director Charlotte Franklin said AR has proven less effective in upper grades, starting in fifth grade, which she attributed to improper implementation.

Board member David Troutman said he has had positive experiences with a similar Accelerated Math program as a teacher. He said he would have appreciated more training like the kind recommended by the administration Monday.