The Selma City School Board voted unanimously during its Thursday meeting to begin the search for a new superintendent.

The motion was made in order to draw an extension to July 1 from the state to fill the vacant position.

The action, board president Henry Hicks said, is important to keep the city system from facing reprimand from the state.

“Just to bring everyone up to speed, it is important for us  to get an extension and we want to make sure we are doing everything legally as a board,” he said. “We need to do this in order to stay along with the guidelines of the law.”

The board unanimously approved motions to  announce a vacancy and approve the proposed time line for posting and searching for a superintendant, as well as a motion for the board’s attorney to be authorized to send out requests and proposals for a superintendent search firm.

The final motion also allows the attorney to be authorized to send a letter to the state superintendent of education requesting the extension to July 1 to fill the vacancy.

The board also approved the contract of interim superintendent Gerald Shirley by a 4-to-1 vote.

The contract, which would run retroactively from Oct. 14, 2011 to June 30, 2012, will provide Shirley with a salary of $20,362 in addition to his salary as principal of the School of Discovery.

The salary will be paid in eight installments of $2545.25.

The contract is set to be effective Nov. 1, 2011.

Shirley chose not to receive a travel expense account and said he would bill the board for reimbursement of any travel expenses.

Hicks was the lone board member in opposition because he said he was against the process from its beginning. “I’m voting no because I did not agree with this form the start,” he said.