The Beaufort County school board has narrowed the field of superintendent candidates to two.

The board voted unanimously Wednesday to narrow its search to Jeffrey Moss and Gloria J. Davis. Several members of the board will visit Moss' current school district in Sanford, N.C. and Davis' district in Decatur, Ill. next week.

The decision means Kathryn LeRoy, director of high school programs for the 125,000-student Duval County Public Schools in Jacksonville, Fla., is out of the running.

The unanimous vote came after a nearly four-hour long closed session discussion of the candidates, who have each appeared at public forums within the last week.

Board chairman Bill Evans, and members Mike Sanz, Evva Anderson and Michael Rivers will visit the 9,850-student Lee County Schools, which Moss leads, and the 9,100-student Decatur Public Schools, which Davis leads, early next week. Tentative travel plans have the board members visiting Lee County Schools Monday and Decatur Public Schools Tuesday.

The board hopes to have a new superintendent hired by the first week in March, though whoever is selected probably will not start until July 1.

For updates, check back with The Island Packet and The Beaufort Gazette and follow reporter Tom Barton at twitter.com/IPBG_Tom.

Here's more on Moss and Davis:

JEFFREY MOSS Moss is currently the superintendent of the 9,850-student Lee County School District in Sanford, N.C.

His supporters say he has expanded classroom technology and improved graduation rates in that district. However, detractors say he denied school for a student on long-term suspension and cursed at two people during a public forum.

For more on Moss' background, read the Feb. 11 story in The Island Packet and The Beaufort Gazette.

GLORIA J. DAVIS Davis has served as superintendent in Decatur since 2006. Prior to that, she was an educator for 31 years, climbing the ranks from teacher to elementary and middle school principal to assistant superintendent in the University City School District near St. Louis, according to a resume and biography provided by the Beaufort County district.

Her supporters say she's increased the rigor of the Decatur district's curriculum, boosted graduation rates, implemented a professional-development program, and increased district scores on standardized tests.

For more on Davis' background, read Monday's story in The Island Packet and The Beaufort Gazette.