XENIA — The Xenia Community School District Board of Education will be going outside the district for its interim superintendent.

Gabe Lofton, assistant superintendent of Cincinnati Public Schools; Jonathan D. Quatman, vice president of Great Oaks Institute of Technology and Career Development in Cincinnati; and Martha Hasselbusch, superintendent of South Central Local Schools in Greenwich — about 20 miles north of Mansfield — are the three finalists and will be interviewed by the board Thursday.

The interim, who will replace Denny Morrison, could be announced at the Monday, Aug. 21 school board meeting.

The board received 17 applications and chose six to interview via phone before narrowing down the list to the finalists. Also considered were Bellaire Local Schools Superintendent Darren Jenkins, former Preble Shawnee superintendent David Ulrich, and former Washington Court House Superintendent Matthew J. McCorkle.

We are working to get the names of all 17 applicants.

Assistant Superintendent for Business Operations Christy Fielding has been serving as temporary interim superintendent since Morrison’s retirement July 31.

Once the interim is named, the board can focus on a new full-time superintendent. Board President Pam Callahan previously stated that the board hopes to have a permanent superintendent in place for the 2018-19 school year.