LIBERTY — Pickens County residents will have an opportunity to provide input regarding their next school superintendent during a focus group meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Jan. 15 at the Liberty High School cafeteria.

The South Carolina School Boards Association (SCSBA) will conduct the meeting, and residents will be provided with an explanation of the process, the tentative timeline and answers to any questions regarding the procedures to be followed in conducting the search.

Former Superintendent Lee D’Andrea, appointed in 2006, announced in October that she was leaving the district to accept the superintendent position with Anderson School District Four. Although she initially planned to stay on board through June 30, D’Andrea and the board agreed Dec. 19 that she would begin her leave in January.

Mendel Stewart, who spent the last six of his 38 1/2 years in the school district as superintendent prior to his 2006 retirement, was named interim superintendent Dec. 29 and will remain through June 30. The board expects to name a superintendent in time to take office July 1.

B.J. Skelton, chairman of the Pickens County Board of Trustees, said the board considers the eventual selection of a new superintendent one of the most important decisions it will make during the next several months.

“We are committed to keeping the community and staff as informed as possible as the search process moves forward,” Skelton said.

Shelton said the meeting would offer community members an opportunity to express their thoughts on the characteristics, experiences and strengths that the board should seek as they review candidates.

“This is a critical part of the search process,” he said.

Individuals unable to attend, but who wish to offer input, may e-mail comments to Pickenssupsearch@scsba.org. E-mailed comments without names will be incorporated into a report that will guide the board in its deliberations, and the summary report of comments will be released once it is compiled.

In addition to the community meeting, the SCSBA has scheduled two additional focus group meetings regarding the superintendent search, one with representatives from the school district’s Teacher Forum and another with a random group of school administrators.

The SCSBA will handle all inquiries and requests for additional information regarding the superintendent search. Inquiries should be directed to Dr. Paul Krohne, 1027 Barnwell St., Columbia, SC 29201 or (803) 799-6607. Requests may also be sent to Pickenssupsearch@scsba.org.