The Waterloo School Board delayed a decision on hiring an Assistant Superintendent for Business and Operations during its special meeting held Wednesday night.

Last week, the board voted 5-2 in favor of creating the new position to help the district transition during the upcoming retirements of current superintendent Jim Helton at the end of next school year and longtime district office manager Laverne Pflueger after that.

Following an hour-long executive session in which an estimated crowd of 40 teachers and concerned community members waited outside the board room at Gardner Elementary, school board president Dwight Schaefer addressed the public by saying that while the board feels strongly about bringing in help for the business side of district operations, it plans to do a better job of putting more information out there while at the same time soliciting input from the community.

“We hear you. We’re listening,” Schaefer said.

The school board said public forums and focus groups will be planned to further research the matter before any official action is taken.