Nampa School District leaders are turning to local residents to help find the next superintendent.

District officials are convening a series of focus groups with parents, taxpayers and community leaders to help inform the superintendent search. On top of that, school officials posted a survey on their website asking patrons to identify the qualities they consider most important in the district’s next leader.

The search for a new superintendent in the state’s third-largest school district began following Thomas Michaelson’s unexpected May 14 resignation. In June, Nampa High School Principal Pete Koehler was installed as interim superintendent.

Earlier this month, a 16-member community committee kicked off the search for a full-time superintendent.

“The leader of the school system plays an essential role in our community, so we very much want various stakeholders and the public to be involved in the process,” Molly Lenty, co-chairman of the Superintendent Search Committee said in a news release. “We have great schools and committed teachers and we want to build on success with a new leader.”

Search committee members said public feedback will be an important factor in the search.

“We’re looking forward to listening to stakeholders and reviewing the online feedback,” Trustee and search committee member Brian McGourty said. “This will be important to the committee as it screens finalists to recommend to the board and the trustees as they interview finalists. I also see this information as useful for the new superintendent in setting goals with the board.”

District officials hope to convene focus group meetings of 10 to 15 residents over the next two weeks and wrap up the feedback process by Nov. 18.

A meeting of the superintendent search committee is scheduled for 4 p.m. Nov. 19, at the district office.