MARTIN COUNTY — Finding a replacement for schools Superintendent John Millay could take the board months as the district competes with seven other Florida school districts looking for a top administrator this year.

Or, it could take just weeks if the board decides to promote from within, an option some board members said they preferred.

“I would like to have a nice, smooth transition,” board member Amy Pritchett said during a board workshop Tuesday. “We have people here who would fit the bill.”

Board Chair Marsha Powers agreed that filling the position internally could be an option.

“I think it’s important our employees have some stability right now,” she said.

Millay announced his resignation last month, telling the board he planned to stay until June 30. The board discussed options and the process of finding a superintendent with Florida School Boards Association chief executive officer Andrea Messina.

“I know it’s been on all of our minds,” Powers said.

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Finding superintendent applicants might be difficult as there are an unprecedented eight school districts searching for a superintendent, Messina said. The other seven — Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Collier, Manatee, Osceola and Sarasota — have already started, she said.

Some districts are finding difficulty in attracting out of state applicants, she said.

“(Applicants) feel like there’s a lot more uncertainty in Florida,” Messina said. “They want to protect themselves, their families and their career. They’re being a little more cautious.”

The board hired Millay, the district’s first appointed superintendent, in 2020. That search was different because the district had a two-year window to conduct a lengthy search, Messina said. Voters decided in 2018 to change from having an elected superintendent to an appointed one.

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The board has a few options to consider, such as appointing an interim superintendent while the district conducts a long-term search, promoting from within the district or conducting an aggressive short-term state or national search, Messina said.

The board plans to review the superintendent job deion at its March 21 meeting, which Powers said should be the first step. The board could also discuss potential internal candidates at that time, Powers said.

Millay is in the midst of a three-year contract that pays him $170,000 annually.