New Haven Public Schools has taken another step towards selecting a new superintendent by opening up a national search for the position.

After Superintendent Reginald Mayo announced his retirement this past February, New Haven’s Board of Education has been looking for someone to replace him as the top official in the district — a position Mayo held for 21 years. Members of the Board of Education said they hoped to have a new superintendent by June 30.

New Haven announced that the district will begin a national search for a superintendent by posting a position profile that was created by a combination of thoughts expressed by various stakeholders. The first bullet on the candidate’s profile specifies that the district is looking for a “visible, accessible, and interactive leader who will champion a vision for transformed student outcomes, building on what is working in the current NHPS School Change Initiative and rigorously reexamining what is not.” It also identifies what the district believes to be its top challenges: high school graduation rates, Pre-K programming, inequalities in funding and special education. In addition, the first paragraph of the position profile describes New Haven to prospective superintendents and points to Yale University’s presence in the city as a selling point.

New Haven Public Schools has also announced that Mayo was honored with a lifetime ‘TAPS’ award, which is awarded to teachers, administrators, parents or support staff who have benefited the district during their tenure.