Donna Peterson, superintendent of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, met with members of the public Thursday afternoon to review the schedule for recruiting applicants and selecting a new principal.

"We've never been through this in June," Peterson told the parents, teachers, staff, site council representatives and members of the public gathered at the HHS library. She was referring to the late notification from Duenas, her letter dated May 27, a week after the last day of classes for the 2008-2009 school. "We want to get things moving as quickly as possible."

Shortly after receiving notification from Duenas, the district posted the opening on KPBSD's Web site. Monday, at a regularly scheduled meeting of the district school board, the board accepted the resignation.

Now, the district is asking the community to submit characteristics they believe important for the HHS principal, priorities of that position and questions that should be asked of candidates. That information can be e-mailed directly to Peterson at dpeterson@kpbsd.k12.ak.us or faxed to (907) 262-9132. The input needs to reach Peterson by 6 p.m. Monday.

"E-mail is the easiest way to get hold of me," Peterson said.

Applicants also are being sought.

"If you know of anyone out there, go get them," Peterson said at the meeting.

The deadline to apply also is Monday.

"I don't know what we'll get," Peterson said in response to questions about possible candidates. "It may be one, two, five. We like to have at least two options to bring forward, but three would be better. If we don't, then what? None of those decisions have been made."

Interviews of applicants will be held at the HHS library at 5:15 p.m. Thursday, with the public invited to be present. Each interview is expected to last a half hour.

The audience will have an opportunity to provide the administration with written input on each interviewed candidate.

McKibben Jackinsky can be reached at mckibben.jackinsky@homernews.com