Following the announcement that Beaufort County Schools Superintendent Dr. Don Phipps will be stepping down from that position in July for another superintendent job in Caldwell County, the Beaufort County Board of Education will not waste any time beginning the search for his successor.

The board will discuss options for conducting the search during its meeting on Tuesday. According to the agenda posted on the school system’s website, North Carolina School Board Association attorney Allison Schaffer is scheduled to speak with the board as it begins its search.

While working with the NCSBA is standard practice for many school systems across the state during superintendent searches, it is not the only option. School boards may also choose to employ a private firm, or conduct the search on their own with the assistance of their attorney.

Under North Carolina State law, superintendents, at minimum, must have been a principal in a North Carolina public school or have other leadership, management and administrative experience. General statutes place responsibility for establishing further qualifications with the North Carolina Board of Education. Rules set by that governing body state that a superintendent must hold either a six-year degree in school administration or a bachelor’s degree and five years of relevant management experience.