BUTLER TWP — Superintendent-designate Dale Lumley can continue interviewing administrative applicants despite the fact that he is not yet an employee of the Butler School District.

School board members met Monday night to discuss Lumley’s role in reviewing and interviewing administrative applicants before he is a district employee on July 1.

The school board administrative search committee planned to hire a superintendent first so that person could be involved in hiring an assistant superintendent and a business manager. However, his responsibilities were never formalized.

Since being appointed last month, Lumley has reviewed resumes and held preliminary interviews with job candidates for the assistant superintendent and business manager positions.

This concerned board member Bill Halle because board members were not invited to join the process and because Lumley, who is the superintendent at the South Butler School District, is not yet a Butler employee.

Halle contacted school solicitor Thomas King for a legal opinion.

“There really is no right or wrong legal response,” King said.

But no matter which process is chosen, “the board needed to say that it was OK.,” King said.

“I think it’s really a matter of trusting the person we chose as superintendent,” said Michael Strutt, the current superintendent.

Lumley said he planned to bring final candidates to the board to interview. But so far only Cathy Rodgers, business manager, and Carolyn Cornish and Brian Slamecka, assistant superintendents, were allowed to be in on interviews.

Lumley admitted that having board members involved in the preliminary hiring process can be “disruptive” and “chaotic” if he doesn’t know which members are showing up ahead of time and what kinds of questions they might ask.

The board in a 7-2 vote Monday gave Lumley special clearances during his transitional period, which includes access to confidential files and a school district e-mail address.

Halle and Jim Keffalas voted against the measure.

The interview process will continue as is, giving board members the opportunity to be involved with the final candidates.

Strutt, Rodgers and Cornish will retire on June 30.