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RALEIGH – County residents got their first chance Tuesday night to tell members of a private search firm what characteristics they'd like to see in the next Wake County Schools superintendent.

The school board is paying the company more than $80,000 to conduct a nationwide search for qualified applicants, but members did not attend the public meeting.

Vice chair Debra Goldman asked board members to stay away so the search firm representatives could get open and honest feedback from the public without filter or distraction from the school board.

The search firm has also had more than a dozen private meetings with various groups like the Chamber of Commerce, area mayors and the Association of Educators.

The new school board majority has expressed interest in hiring someone outside of the education field, perhaps someone with more business or management experience.

Candidates have until Sept. 1 to submit their application. The search firm is expected to then help the school board narrow down the list of candidates to just a few finalists.

The search firm will host another public input meeting from 10 a.m. until noon Wednesday in the board meeting room at the central offices on Wake Forest Road in Raleigh.

Former superintendent Del Burns resigned in February. He said he could not, in good conscience, implement the new board majority's plans to eliminate the student diversity policy.

The board named chief academic officer Donna Hargens as interim superintendent until the position is filled.