Consultants hired to assist in the search for a new superintendent to head the Vicksburg Warren School District presented school board members Tuesday with a draft copy of a brochure designed to entice applicants.

The brochure prepared by the group based at the University of Mississippi will include statistics about the school district, the qualifications for the school superintendent and information about the area. The pamphlet will be ready in mid-January.

School board president Zelmarine Murphy said the process of finding a replacement for Robert Pickett, who retired in January, is going smoothly.

“The new superintendent will come on board July 1, but we will know in May or June who it will be,” Murphy said.

Since Oct. 1, veteran local school leader Donald Oakes has served as interim superintendent of the district.

The names of all applicants are being kept confidential until five finalists are named in the search process. Murphy said the public will then become involved in choosing the new head of the countywide, 9,200-student district.

“We will have meetings with administrators, teachers and the community; telling us some of the things that they would like to see in a superintendent,” she said.

After that, it will be up to the board to choose the new superintendent, Murphy said.

The school board also:

Approved the purchase of Failure Free Reading materials for the special education department for $9,000.

Approved the purchase of a computerized legal research program for the special education department for $2,000.

Accepted donations of five used computers from the State Auditor’s Office for use at the Center for Alternative Programs.

Accepted donations of 10 used computers from Waterways Experiment Station for use at Warren Central Junior High School.

Accepted donations of 13 used printers from Ameristar Casino.

Accepted donations of 22 used computers from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for use at the Center for Alternative Programs.

Asked the Warren County Board of Supervisors to make repairs to school bus turnarounds at 4801 Benard Drive and 7230 Freetown Road.

Approved a change in the uniform policy for Redwood Elementary. Students will be allowed to wear regular clothing on the sixth Friday of every six-week period only. Previously, students were allowed to wear regular clothing on the third and sixth Fridays.

Renewed a contract with Mission Primary Care Clinic for drug and alcohol screening tests for bus drivers.

The trustees will meet again at 5:30 p.m., Jan. 18, at the school administration office.