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NATCHEZ — The Concordia Parish School Board is interviewing candidates for the next school superintendent this week.

Meetings are at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday and 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the school board office at 4358 U.S. 84, in Vidalia.

Board President Fred Butcher said the district is now considering five candidates of the eight people who initially applied to the position. Three of the people who applied — including Troy Bell, of Winnsboro; James Stoder, of Rogersville Tennessee; and Chanel Howard-Veazy, of Crocket, Texas — withdrew their application prior to being interviewed, he said.

The remaining applicants include:

• Montrell Greene, minister at Sycamore Street Church of Christ in Greenwood and the founder and executive director at Empowerment 360 Foundation and Montrell Greene Ministries;
• Susan M. Henson, interim superintendent of New Hampshire School Administrative Unit No. 44, Northwood, New Hampshire;
• Arlana Lewin, director of academics and student learning at Madison Parish School Board in Tallulah;
• Karen E. Tutor, retired Mississippi school superintendent and educator from McCall Creek and an independent educational consultant;
• Toyua Watson, director of secondary education for the Concordia Parish School Board.

According to agendas for the school board meetings, Greene, Henson and Lewin are scheduled for interviews Wednesday and Tutor and Watson are scheduled for interviews on Thursday.

Portions of each interview may be held in executive session, which is not open to the public or press, to discuss the professional competency and character of each of the applicants.

Current Superintendent Whest Shirley continues to work on a month-to-month contract after the board voted not to renew his full contract last year.

Shirley began his tenure as the district superintendent in 2017 after he worked 10 years as an administrator and taught school in Vidalia for 22 years.