Columbus Municipal School District Superintendent Del Phillips says he’s interest in the state superintendent of education job.

The post is being vacated by Hank Bounds, who was appointed last week as state higher education commissioner.

State Board of Education Chairman Bill Jones said the process for finding a new state education superintendent hasn’t been set yet.

Phillips has been superintendent in Columbus since June 2007. He says he hasn’t applied for the state job but will if it suits him.

Jones says the state Board of Education’s nine members have various ideas on how to conduct the search and when to have a permanent replacement for Bounds, who’s been state superintendent since 2005.