By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

Pelham Board of Education member Dr. Barbara Regan will serve as a point person for locating the city’s first school superintendent, but the city has not yet determined when it will finalize its split from the Shelby County School System.

During its first meeting on Dec. 4 at Pelham City Hall, the newly appointed Pelham Board of Education discussed plans for the future, including its search for a superintendent.

“It is the key, critical, whatever you want to call it, ingredient in this,” School Board President Rick Rhoades said of finding a superintendent.

Regan, who has served on a school board and worked to locate and hire a superintendent in the past, said she would be “happy” to lead Pelham’s search for a school system leader.

“Dr. Regan is perfect because she has done it before,” Rhoades said.

The Pelham School Board members said they are planning to seek the help of entities such as the Alabama Board of Education and the Alabaster City School System – which recently separated from the Shelby County School System – while searching for Pelham superintendent candidates.

“I think this will be an attractive position,” Rhoades said. “I think we will have a lot of candidates.”

Pelham School Board members said they had not yet determined when the city will separate from the county school system, but said July 2014 is possible. Per state guidelines, new school systems must always form on a July 1.

“We would love to start on July 1, 2014,” Rhoades said. “I think we can, but I don’t think we should be held hostage by that. It can be done, but some things have to fall right.”

School Board member Paul Howell said Pelham will not separate from the county school system until it has completed its “due diligence.”

Regan said Pelham could look at possibly hiring an interim superintendent to help negotiate the separation from the county school system until a full-time superintendent is named.