The Vashon Island School District has begun its search for the next Vashon High School principal, forming a large search committee and outlining a job posting to go up next week.

Last week the district formed a 16-person search committee, which will interview candidates and make a hiring recommendation to the school board in April. This week the committee, using feedback from a parent survey sent out this month, will finalize the qualifications and characteristics it will look for in a new principal and choose the words to be included in a job posting.

The job will be posted Feb. 8, and finalists will be identified in March.

The committee includes five district teachers, three parents, two students, a few other district officials and one school board member.

Susan Hanson, principal of the high school for 13 years, announced her retirement last month. She will stay at the school through February of 2014 to aid the new principal and help with the transition to the new high school building.