COURTLAND
The Southampton County Public School Board will hold a public hearing on Monday, March 7, in the Wigwam at Southampton Technical Career Center with regard to the search for a new superintendent. The board at that time will reveal its qualifications for possible candidates, as well as solicit community input.

Parents and county residents alike are also asked to complete a survey, which inquires which qualifications they deem most important and what they believe the new superintendent should prioritize. The survey is available in paper form at each of the district’s six school, as well as online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SouthamptonSearch and www.southampton.k12.va.us.

Superintendent Dr. Alvera J. Parrish announced in January that she will retire effective July 1. The 58-year-old, who assumed her position in 2012 after a five-year stint in various administrative roles at Petersburg City Public Schools, said that she would like to travel and spend time with her family.

“This is part of my career plan,” she said. “There are some other things I want to do. I invested very well early on in my career, and the benefits are going to pay off very well.”

School board chairman Dr. Deborah Goodwyn said that the hiring process should take 15 to 18 weeks.