SALISBURY — The Rowan-Salisbury Schools Board of Education met in closed session for a called meeting at an unusual venue on Tuesday: the Gateway Center.

After the meeting, Chair Kevin Jones confirmed the meeting was part of the ongoing superintendent search process, but could not share the exact nature of the discussion.

Jones said he feels good about the process and that the board is moving toward a conclusion, though there is not an exact timeline. He said the board’s goal is to still have a new hire in place before outgoing Superintendent Lynn Moody retires. Moody announced she will retire at the end of the calendar year in September.

After Moody made the retirement announcement she said hiring a new superintendent before the beginning of next school year would give the new hire time to adjust. The board agreed to try and hire a superintendent before the end of 2020 so there would be time to work with Moody and forego installing an interim candidate.

Moody announced she will retire at the end of the calendar year in September. She was hired in 2013 and has overseen a few landmark changes within the district including the construction of Wallace Educational Forum and the district gaining renewal status from the state.