NORWICH – With just over a week remaining before the contract of Norwich’s interim high school principal is due to expire, the district has yet to reveal who will fill the school’s top leadership position.

“We have a plan in place and I know that the students and academic programs will be well cared for,” said Superintendent Gerard O’Sullivan in a phone interview on Friday.

Although the district administrator would not reveal the details of that plan, he said he intends to bring a recommendation to the board at their re-organizational meeting on July 1 and fully expects the board to act on that recommendation.

Time is of the essence for the decision as the contract of Dr. Bob Cleveland, who has served as the building’s interim principal since May of last year, will expire on June 30.

The search for Cleveland’s replacement began in January. According to O’Sullivan, there were more than 30 applicants for the position, which was advertised in a number of newspapers and education-related websites.

Six of those applicants were brought in for initial interviews and then the top two candidates returned to meet with both the superintendent and a committee of students, parents, teachers and other district staff members.