District 205 Superintendent Ralph Grimm will retire at the end of this school year.
Grimm informed board members of his decision in a closed session meeting Wednesday night.
This is the first year Grimm was eligible to retire after 21 years as a superintendent, the last 2 of those spent in Galesburg.
Before coming to Galesburg he was head of West Central District 235 schools for a decade.
Grimm tells WGIL he simply is ready to find other things to do.
“Being a district superintendent anywhere in this state is difficult and I think it’s going to continue to increase in difficulty and I’m just at a point where I think I’m ready to do something different,” Grimm says.
The uncertainty and financial chaos in Illinois around education caused stress that Grimm says may have forced this decision sooner.
But ultimately he says it’s not the challenges of the job, but rather just doing what’s best for him personally.
But it’s not goodbye for Grimm just yet.
“I intend to be the superintendent here until June 30th so we’re going to keep working hard,” Grimm says.
Board President Bob Lindstrom issued a statement saying Grimm is “recognized by his peers as one of the finest administrators in the state.”
Lindstrom calls Grimm’s departure a “tremendous loss” and although he understands his decision he regrets his expertise will be missed as the district faces serious issues in the days ahead.
