The search for a new principal at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School is well under way, with the hope of having someone in place by July 1, superintendent of schools Dr. James H. Weiss said Monday.

A separate search has also begun for Mr. Weiss’s replacement when he retires in 2015.

High school principal Stephen Nixon resigned abruptly in April after six years on the job. Assistant superintendent Matthew D’Andrea has been acting principal for the past two months.

Technically Mr. Nixon is on medical leave and his resignation becomes effective June 30, Mr. Weiss said.

Meanwhile, the principal position was advertised in late April and a search committee has been screening candidates.

Mr. Weiss said the school received about 40 applications, and narrowed the field to 10 candidates about 10 days ago. Three candidates have since dropped out.

“Hopefully of that seven we will find someone,” the superintendent said. Because they are semi-finalists, the candidates’ names have not been released, but Mr. Weiss said they include men and women, mostly from Massachusetts and New England. One applicant is from Georgia and will be on Island this week for an interview. A candidate from Iowa will be interviewed by Skype. There are no candidates from the Island.

“I’m hopeful. I haven’t met them yet but on paper they all look like good candidates,” Mr. Weiss said.

He said he expects the field to be narrowed to two or three before he makes his pick; the superintendent said he has sole hiring authority for the high school principal.

Meanwhile, a search is also in the early stages for Mr. Weiss’s replacement. School committee member Susan Mercier is heading up that committee.

The five-member committee has already met a handful of times, Mrs. Mercier said, and is planning to hire a consultant for the search. She said she is hopeful that the application process can begin in September. “I can’t come up with an adequate timeline until we really sit down with a consultant and we haven’t really chosen him yet,” she said.