Ed Sivak (a member of the commission) gave an update about the search for a superintendent in the district. The search was conducted by McPherson and Jacobson LLC, both based in Omaha, Neb. Four community meetings will be held in the district from April 16-17 to gather information from stakeholders. They will ask them questions about their schools and communities, as well as what characteristics they think a superintendent should possess, and what other issues the next leader of the district should be aware. He also said that Jackson will be receiving a survey. Each meeting will take places in the school gymnasium on Monday, April 16 and Tuesday, April 17. The school board will receive the feedback from the meetings on April 18. Sivak stated that the application window for potential superintendent candidates closes on May 14. Interviews will take place in June. The board expects to have a new leader by July 1, and will announce the finalists shortly thereafter. Sivak pointed out that the corrective action plan for the district (CAP) was approved earlier in the month by the State Board of Education. The board has already requested the Mississippi Department of Education visit to establish clear standards regarding school finance, child nutrition and professional development. The CAP was created in response to August’s Department of Education investigative audit. The audit revealed that the district had not met 24 of 32 state accreditation standards. While the board is confident that some standards can be met immediately, it may take longer to clear others such as those relating to teacher staffing or facilities. JPS, like other districts in the state, is having difficulty finding and placing certified teachers because of a teacher shortage. Due to the millions of dollars spent on school facilities repairs, the board decided to close several elementary schools. Four open positions were also noted by members of the Better Together Commission during the meeting. They will be funded from a $3 million grant that was recently awarded to the Community Foundation of Greater Mississippi.