The Westwood Regional School District will hold an in-person meeting at the beginning of the new year to get feedback from the community in its search for a new superintendent.

The meeting, which will be held on Jan. 11 at 6:30 p.m. at the Westwood Regional High School media center, will invite parents, families and community members to provide their thoughts and ideas for a new leader. It is not a school board meeting and no school board members will be present.

The current school superintendent Jill Mortimer, 55, had announced in August her intention to leave the district, saying at the time that she had always planned to retire in her mid-50s. Mortimer has worked in education for 31 years, nine of them in the Westwood regional district, which serves Westwood and Washington Township.

District staff will have a separate meeting to share ideas on what they’d like to see in a new leader on the same day at 3:45 p.m. in the media center.

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The district had previously released an online survey to get feedback from the community on the superintendent search in early December.

A report of applicants for the position, which will include non-confidential information, will be published on the district’s website on Jan. 8. A confidential review of candidates will be held by the school board on Jan. 22, according to the school district’s website. The first interview of candidates will be held during a closed session with the board on Feb. 4.

Mortimer said in August that she was hopeful the Board of Education would find a suitable candidate in time to take over by July 1, ahead of the coming school year. But she said she would consider delaying her exit if the search takes longer than anticipated.

The search is being conducted by Kathleen Helewa Educational Associates. Future updates will be posted on the district’s superintendent search webpage.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Westwood to seek community input on superintendent search at meeting