Outgoing Superintendent David Smith had his 335th and final board of education meeting this week.
Board members shared their thoughts and appreciation for Smith at the Monday meeting.
Board Secretary Melissa Moore had to break protocol to give Smith a hug after talking about his affect on her dating back to her high school years. “It's personal for me, in a good way,” she said. “ Thank you for everything.”
This was the last full week on the job for Smith. He led the district for 14 years — through the COVID Pandemic and steep funding cuts.
“You are leaving this corporation better than how you found it. And I think when you can do that, you can hold your head up,” said Board VP Mike Duckworth. Smith thanked them for their own service on the board — adding that he goes happily and willingly — into retirement.
And often this isn’t the case. Superintendent can be fired by their school board, or just move on after a few years.
“Some board members said some very nice things,” Smith said. “You just do what you do, hoping that you're going to make a good, positive impact. … It is a team effort here, with all the board members, everybody on my team, all 3,450 employees, all working to make certain that kids have a better opportunity.”
Smith had announced his retirement this winter — retiring earlier than initially planned to give the new superintendent more time with the existing school board before elections.
He’ll hand the reins to Darla Hoover, current chief of schools and instructional care, with 24 years in the district. She was selected after a nationwide search this winter.
“She's going to be phenomenal,” Smith said. “This corporation is going to achieve even greater heights under her leadership than under mine, and I'll be the first one cheering her on.”
As a former school music instructor, he was given a personalized conducting baton as a gift from the board members.
Looking back, his personal highlights are about students exceling.
“That warms my heart more than anything else, and because I know that is a culmination of the students' effort, the family's effort, and our teachers and administrators efforts, and our kids have done some amazing things, and that gives me a lot of humble pride.”
More specifically, he said the district has finally turned the corner from COVID-19 reading losses. He said the district experienced double-digit increases this year.
His contract is up July 1 and he suspects he’ll have to do a little more digitizing of his old files before he can officially retire. “I think I have four drawers left to finish,” he said.
Smith has previously said he will hold off on the next possible opportunity to get some much-needed rest.
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