The Allen Parish School Board wants the public’s help on their pending decision to select the district’s next superintendent of schools.

School board members said Monday they want the public and school employees to submit questions to ask of the two superintendent finalists during upcoming interviews.

The board has narrowed its selection to the district’s Child Welfare, Attendance and Transportation Supervisor Kenney Courville and Secondary Supervisor of Instruction and Assessment Brad Soileau, but are at an impasse as to which finalist they should hire.

Since May, the eight-member board has struggled to get pass its 4-4 vote between the two candidates. A majority, or five votes, are needed to elect a superintendent.

The board voted 6-2 this week to extend retiring Superintendent Kent Reed’s contact to Sept. 1 to allow the board to finish the selection process for the permanent position.

“This will settle things back down and give us time to continue with the pursuit of the superintendent,” board member Carolyn Manuel said in making the motion to extend Reed’s contract.

The board also scheduled a second round of open interviews for Courville and Solieau for 5 p.m. July 10.

Attorney Bob Hammonds, who specializes in school board legal issues, suggested each board member come up with a question to ask each candidate during the interview.

“I like for the board members to come up with the questions because it makes you stop and think about what do you think is important in your next superintendent,” he said. “To me it is more effective when you hear them answering the question you want to hear them answer rather than have them answer questions you really don’t care about.”

Hammond also urged the board to solicit questions from the public through its website for consideration during the next interviews.

“I like getting the input from the public because it includes our teachers, administrators and all,” board member Karen Reed said. “I think they have a right because they are stakeholders and they may think of something we don’t.”

The public will have an opportunity to submit questions for the candidates through an online portal on the School Board’s website at www.allen.k12.la.us. The site is expected to begin accepting questions this week. The public will have until July 6 to submit questions.

“Those questions can be reviewed and determined which ones to use because you can’t use them all,” Hammonds said. “You just want to get as much information from the candidates as you can so that you can try to make the best decision.”

Hammond will review the questions by July 7 and select questions to be asked during the open interviews on July 10. He acknowledged that some questions may warrant a short executive session.

The Louisiana Open Meetings Law allows bodies to go into executive session to discuss the character, professional competency or health of a person, but the person can require the discussion be open to the public.

Both candidates will also be allowed to present a brief opening and closing statement during the interviews.