NORFOLK - With Superintendent Chris Augusta-Scott on the short list for the top job in both the New Bedford and Lowell school systems, school committee members are mulling what steps to take if they need to seek a replacement.

School committees in both cities expect to reach a decision in shortly, Augusta-Scott said.

The Norfolk board said that if Augusta-Scott does move on, it will weigh whether to require her to fulfill the 180-day notice clause in her contract and begin the search for a replacement.

School Committee Chairwoman Kim Williams has begun preliminary research on the process, including a competitive salary range, the candidate pool and how the district's last search was conducted in 2003.

The committee expects to receive 25 to 30 applications, which a search committee will narrow to five candidates to be interviewed by the school committee.