The search for a new Watertown High School principal will not begin until next year.

Watertown City School District Superintendent Terry N. Fralick said advertising for former Principal Lloyd L. Peck’s replacement will start in March.

Mr. Peck served two years as principal. He resigned in June after accepting the superintendency at the Chenango Forks Central School District in the Southern Tier. Former Pulaski High School Principal Joseph M. McGrath was announced as the interim principal in August to allow the Board of Education more time to look for a qualified candidate.

Mr. McGrath retired from the Pulaski district in June 2011. His term is effective until June 30.

“We’ve been very pleased with the work Mr. McGrath has done for us,” Mr. Fralick said.

Mr. Fralick said he was not yet sure what qualities he wants in a high school principal.

“I’ve been so focused” on the annual professional performance review and common core “that I haven’t thought about it,” he said. “It’s premature to talk about it.”

Once the district starts looking for a permanent principal, Mr. Fralick said previously, the administration, faculty and community will be involved.

“We’re going to make this as transparent as possible,” he said in July. “I think it gives us an opportunity to look up a tenure-track principal during the school year. Quite honestly, Mr. Peck’s official resignation wasn’t until the early part of June. That didn’t give us enough time to look for a principal.”

He said the district will start moving into informal budget discussions soon and is concerned about how the Superstorm Sandy relief cost is going to affect state aid.

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