GONZALES - The Ascension Parish School Board announced six candidates for its superintendent position.

In a press release Monday evening, the following finalists were announced:

• Rita B. Hernandez (Ed.D. - University of Houston) Area Assistant Superintendent for Middle and Elementary Schools, Brownsville Independent School District (Texas)
• Alonzo "Lonnie" Ray Luce (Ph.D. - Louisiana State University) Superintendent of Schools, St. James Parish Schools
• A. Katrise Perera (Ed.D. - Virginia Tech) National Director for Urban Markets, McGraw-Hill Education (Iowa)
• Harrison A. Peters (M.S. - Nova Southeastern University) School Support Officer, Houston Independent School District (Texas)
• Jerome Puyau (M.E. - University of Southwestern Louisiana) Superintendent of Schools, Vermillion Parish School Board
• Stacy L. Scott (Ed.D. - Harvard University) Superintendent, Framingham Public Schools (Massachusetts)

The final six were chosen from a list of 10 provided by a search firm which began with 47 applicants. Next week, the six candidates will undergo a first round of interviews. Afterward, the list will be narrowed to an unspecified number of finalists, and a second round of interviews will take place the following. After that, a new superintendent will be named.

Previous Superintendent Patrice Pujol announced she was leaving in January to become President of the National Institute of Excellence in Teaching. That group is based out of California.

In February, the school board appointed A. Denise Graves as interim superintendent.