CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD)- The next steps in the search for a new, full-time superintendent of Charleston County schools happens on Monday.

The Charleston County School District (CCSD) Board of Trustees will meet with four search firm finalists to determine which one will help them hire a new top educator.

“We look at this as a very thorough, very serious, very challenging, but expedient process,” said Pam McKinney, the board’s chairperson. “We are interviewing all four firms. We hope that there is a shining star among those four.”

Multiple board members say that community engagement sessions will be planned after a search firm finalist is chosen.

“We need to pick somebody that it’s very clear that this community wants to be the superintendent. I think that the board needs to make sure that they are not unilaterally making any decisions,” said Courtney Waters,” the representative for District 4. “We would do community surveys and community listening sessions.”

The presentations from finalists are slated for a special called meeting where the board will be in executive session at 3 p.m.

That meeting is one of three scheduled for Monday at CCSD headquarters in downtown Charleston.

One of the others is a Committee of the Whole meeting where Bill Briggman, the districts chief human resources officer, will “present information on the impact of salary and compensation on teacher retention in CCSD.” That happens just after 5 p.m.

The last meeting of the day is at 7 p.m. and is a special called Board of Trustees meeting. The board will also go into executive session then and discuss a personnel and a contractual matter.

After the board returns to open session, there is a vote scheduled on the contractual matter that was discussed in executive session. It is unclear if these matters are related to the superintendent search.

News 2 asked McKinney if Interim Superintendent Don Kennedy will lose his job before new leadership is in place.

“I do not see that happening,” said McKinney. “I think that the stability that we have in place is important for everyone in the community to our students, teachers, principals, parents and taxpayers.”

According to CCSD policy, interviews and contract talks must happen behinds closed doors, but other information will be made available.

“The (firm) that we decide on will be made public,” said McKinney.