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QUINCY, ILL. -- The Quincy School District will use an outside firm to fill its vacant superintendent position.

School Board President Bill Daniels said the district received five proposals Monday from various search firms. The board will choose a headhunting organization to fill the position vacated June 30 by former superintendent Lonny Lemon. Lemon took a position with a Chicago-area school district.

“All of them are different,” Daniels said of the firms that submitted proposals. “The proposals all arrived Monday. There's a lot of stuff there to read. There's a wide range of what the different firms cost.”

Former district finance director Bud Martin is acting as interim superintendent under a 60 day contract.

In the past, the district had at least a year to decide who would replace retiring superintendents. With Lemon's sudden departure, Daniels said that there is no rush to find the permanent replacement.

“I hope this process ends when we find the right individual,” he said. “We don't have the luxury of having long-term notice. We want to try to find the best candidate who is the best fit for the district. We shouldn't be in a rush to fill the spot just to fill the spot.”