The Santa Barbara school board will interview superintendent candidates this week after narrowing the field from 55 applicants.

Board member Ed Heron said search firm Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates “culled out” some of the applicants and presented a smaller pool to the board.

The hiring process will be kept confidential until the final three candidates and a replacement for retiring Superintendent Brian Sarvis is hired in June.

Heron wouldn’t elaborate on the number of interviewees, but said the board was pleased with the caliber of applicants.

The board will meet in closed session Wednesday and Thursday at Griffith & Thornburgh LLP, 8 E. Figueroa St. in Santa Barbara. Craig Price, the district’s general counsel, is a partner at the law firm.

Click here to read the job criteria written by the board.

— Noozhawk staff writer Giana Magnoli can be reached at gmagnoli@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk or @NoozhawkNews. Become a fan of Noozhawk on Facebook.