Philadelphia school superintendent William R. Hite Jr., says he is leaving the job as of August 2022.
Hite will remain leader of the Philadelphia School District through the end of the school year, but he and the school board have agreed there will be no contract renewal. Hite’s pact, which pays him $334,644 annually, expires in August 2022, reports The Philadelphia Inquirer.
“After much reflection, I have decided not to renew my contract when it expires in August of 2022,” Hite said.
His 10 years on the job mean that Hite, 60, will leave as one of the longest-tenured superintendents in the history of a district that educates 120,000 students in more than 200 schools.
Hite was hired in June 2012 when the district was in crisis: teetering on the brink of insolvency and needing to borrow $300 million just to pay the bills. In 2013, he recommended closing 37 district schools — 23 eventually were shut.
The superintendent steered the district through the end of the 17-year state takeover and a return to locally controlled schools, and has generally earned plaudits for his financial stewardship, professionalism and even keel.
MORE: Youtube video of William R. Hite Jr., explaining why he is resigning.
