A recent national study suggests that 80 percent of current superintendents are at or near retirement. To compound the problem of a shrinking pool of candidates, highly qualified potential applicants often simply do not want the job. This report focuses on the aspects of the positions that serve as disincentives to seemingly qualified candidates. More than 1,900 superintendents and superintendent certificate holders in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington were surveyed early in 2000. Responses suggest that fewer than 25 percent of sitting superintendents were under the age of 50 in the year 2000, and that 40 percent of those 50 years or older planned to retire within the next 4 years. While the pool of potential applicants includes over 1,000 superintendent certificate holders, fewer than 150 of respondents in this study planned to apply for upcoming vacancies. Reasons for not applying include stresses created by politics, the media, boards with individually vested interests, inadequate salary, position instability, and enjoyment of and at the current job. At present, school districts may need to recognize that they will continue to have an aging superintendency, unless the position can be restructured in a way that affords a better balance between professional and personal lives for superintendents. (Contains 34 references and 2 tables.) (RT)