CHARLOTTE -- While the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education starts its search for a new superintendent, it's hard for school board members to ignore what happened with the last one.
"Is that going to keep good candidates away?"asked Tim Morgan, CMS board vice chairman asked a consultant during a work session Thursday.
Former superintendent Heath Morrison abruptly resigned in November after allegations surfaced he bullied staff members.
"I doubt that it's a deal breaker for many," said Michael Casserly, the executive director of the Council of the Great City Schools.
Casserly is consulting the school board on the new search and he said Morrison's departure shouldn't hurt the process.
"You've aquitted yourself since then in a way that is compatible with your reputation," said Casserly.
He said the CMS board still has a good reputation and Charlotte is a place many people want to work, but finding the best talent to run such a large district isn't easy.
"There's lots of ways in which the process can go wrong," said Casserly.
He said the competition is tougher than normal right now since more than a dozen other large school districts are also looking for a new superintendent, including Los Angeles, Nashville, Kansas City, and Charleston.
Casserly said the board needs to start looking soon since the process usually takes about six to nine months.
School board members agree and say it's time to move forward.
"It is encouraging to know that even though we've gone through some storms, we've weathered those storms and we're coming out to some smooth sailing right now and I'm looking forward to this search," said Mary McCray, CMS board chair.
The CMS board first needs to decide whether to hire a search firm, which can cost them anywhere from $40,000 to $120,000.
McCray said they haven't worked out where that money will come from yet.