(1) Every educational service district board shall employ and set the salary of an educational service district superintendent who shall be employed by a written contract for a term to be fixed by the board, but not to exceed three years, and who may be discharged for sufficient cause.

(2) There is hereby established within each educational service district an educational service district superintendent review committee. Such review committee shall be composed of a subcommittee of the board, two school district superintendents from within the educational service district selected by the educational service district board, and a representative of the state superintendent of public instruction selected by the state superintendent of public instruction.

(3) Prior to the employment by the educational service district board of a new educational service district superintendent, the review committee shall screen all applicants against the established qualifications for the position and recommend to the board a list of three or more candidates. The educational service district board shall either select the new superintendent from the list of three or more candidates, ask the review committee to add additional names to the list, or reject the entire list and ask the review committee to submit three or more additional candidates for consideration. The educational service district board shall repeat this process until a superintendent is selected.

Severability—1977 ex.s. c 283: See note following RCW 28A.310.010.