BUTLER TWP — Butler school board members Tuesday night talked about their wish list of traits for a new leader with the man tasked with finding the district’s next superintendent.

In a special meeting, board members met with Tom Templeton, who will work as their search consultant as board members look at superintendent candidates in the coming months.

The board voted on March 20 to hire Templeton Advantage, based in Newport, Perry County, on a contract estimated to cost about $14,000.

The district has been in need of a long-term superintendent since early February when Dale Lumley submitted his resignation, which the board approved Feb. 13.

Templeton told the board that based on board members’ comments he would be working on a job posting to be out to the public later this month. He would set an early June deadline for applicants, meaning there would be a six-week window to apply. During that time, he will also be seeking out candidates both in Pennsylvania and from other states, and would work to gather input from stakeholders in the district, which could include staff, students and community members.

Interviews of candidates then would be conducted during June.

Templeton told the board that he has been successful in finding candidates for recent searches, but said there is currently a shortage of administrators seeking superintendent positions.

“It is one of the toughest things to do in the public sector world,” he said.

The board opted not to advertise a salary range or require that candidates to have a doctorate.