PITTSFIELD — The search for School Administrative District 53 Superintendent Michael A. Gallagher’s successor continues while he begins his retirement later this month.

Gallagher, who spent 35 years in education including 24 in the district as a teacher, elementary school principal and superintendent, retires June 30 and will take the remainder of his accrued vacation time starting Tuesday.

Gallagher told the board at its meeting Monday that even though he will be on vacation until the end of the month, “I’ll still be available if you need me for anything. I’m still on the payroll.”

He cautioned them that the district needs to take action soon, even if it means hiring an interim superintendent before his permanent successor is named.

District director Michelle Hodgins said that while the search for his successor is still under way, “It’s not going to happen by the end of the month.”

She said the search committee has interviewed several candidates and as recently as last month conducted on-site visits to schools where potential candidates were employed.

Gallagher, who announced his retirement in November, is paid $95,780 annually.

In other action Monday, the board unanimously voted to hire an assistant principal of Warsaw Middle School and three teachers.

Veteran teacher Sherry Littlefield was hired as assistant principal. She has worked at the district for 23 years, primarily as a seventh and eighth-grade teacher.

In January, the board appointed her as the part-time assistant principal at the middle school, pending voter approval of the new school budget where the position was upgraded to full-time.

The teachers hired are Ashley Raymond of St. Albans as a first grade teacher at Vickery Elementary School; Chelsey Johnson, a Cape Elizabeth native, as a third grade teacher at Vickery; and Justin Hardy as a physical education teacher at Warsaw Middle School. Hardy held a similar position at Dexter Middle School for the past two years.