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The LA Unified school board said today it will begin the first round of interviews of candidates for superintendent at 8:30 Sunday morning.

It’s the start of the endgame for the seven board members, who are seeking to find a successor to Ramon Cortines before he steps down at the end of the year. In the first round of interviews, the board members will be guided by information and concerns that its search firm collected from interviews and community forums.

The second round of interviews will be conducted in a less formal setting and allow for more of a dialogue with board members. The entire interview process is planned as confidential, and no candidate’s name will be released before the final decision — unless, of course, somebody leaks a name or two.

The next regularly-scheduled school board meeting is planned for Tuesday, Dec. 8, with an agenda that will include a vote on Scott Schmerelson’s resolution against the Eli Broad Foundation’s plan to increase charter schools in the district.

Also up for a vote is a measure from Mónica Ratliff that seeks greater transparency from charter schools and charter school compliance with state guidelines for open meetings.