CHESAPEAKE — The three candidates for Chesapeake Schools Superintendent will have to provide some more information before the school board will make a decision on whom it wants to lead the district.

Nine current or former superintendents applied for the post held by Dr. Scott Howard until his resignation in June. Last week the school board finished interviewing the top three candidates, after Cross Management Consulting from Portsmouth worked with the board to narrow the list.

“We didn’t come to any conclusion and have sent out a questionnaire for the ones we are considering,” School Board President Carl Lilly said. “All three had good experience. Two were local and one was out of town. The big thing is, do we want to go outside the area?”

Lilly has declined to provide the names of those candidates and a phone request sent via voice mail for the list and their resumes to Dr. James Payne, acting superintendent for the district, has not been answered.

“If it is someone outside, what kind of salary and moving expenses,” Lilly said. “The main thing is the salary. We are very close to (finishing) the sports arena and don’t want to jeopardize anything.”

About a year ago, the district began work on a new $3 million athletic complex for the school.

At the time of Howard’s resignation, the then superintendent was under his second contract with the district, this one for five years starting at a base salary of $100,786 with a minimum raise of 3 percent each year.

Lilly has said the board wants to pay a salary appropriate for the size of the district.

“We would love to be able to make a decision before Sept. 1,” he said. “That is still a possibility, if they get (those questionnaires) back quickly.”

The board has scheduled a meeting for Tuesday to go over the questionnaires and discuss other personnel matter, Lilly said.

“If we get those additional requests before our next meeting, we can possibly (make a decision) by next Tuesday, if everything falls into place,” he said.