FARMINGTON — Five candidates for Mt. Blue Middle School principal will be interviewed Feb. 25.

Veteran educator and Principal Gary Oswald is retiring when his contract expires at the end of the school year.

Regional School Unit 9 board member Tami Labul of Farmington, who is on the board’s Administrator Evaluation Committee, gave the update on the principal search to directors Tuesday night.

RSU 9 received nine applications.

The committee met with middle school staff to see what they are looking for in a leader, Superintendent Tom Ward said.

Two middle school teachers and a special education teacher, two middle school parents, members of the Administrator Evaluation Committee that includes Ward and Assistant Superintendent Leanne Condon, and others will make up a 13-member Interview Committee.

The Administrator Evaluation Committee will make the final recommendation for a candidate to the school board.

In other business, Labul, also a member of the board’s Finance Committee, said the committee had met prior to the meeting. The district has 35.1 percent of its budget left for the fiscal year, which ends June 30, she said.

“We are in good shape, not great shape,” Ward said.

Ward froze the budget last month, except for supplies needed to teach curriculum, after unexpected expenses came up in the Special Education Program. The district had five more students needing out-of-district placements for special services. It budgeted for four for 2015-16. The contingency account for the Special Education Program has been expended.

More students also needed more one-on-one time with staff than initially budgeted.

dperry@sunmediagroup.net