DIXFIELD – The Board of Directors of the new Western Foothills School District will hold its first meeting this week and topping its agenda is the search for a superintendent.

The 17 board members will meet at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 3, at Dirigo High School.

A closed session is scheduled at the end of the meeting to discuss hiring a superintendent, if the board decides earlier to choose one from SADs 21, 39 or 43.

Those districts and the town of Hanover comprise the new district, which begins operating July 1 under the state’s school consolidation law.

Interim Superintendent Jim Hodgkin of SAD 43 said the board has three options: advertise within the three SADs; advertise outside; or hire him, or Tom Ward of SAD 21 or Rick Colpitts of SAD 39.

Ward is the only one who has said he wants the position.

The board will choose a chairman, voting process and quorum requirement, committees and meeting schedule. Also on the to-do list are a job description for the superintendent and discussing the process for adopting member district policies.

Ward said he believes it will be a long meeting.