Rock Hill board accepts superintendent's retirement; approves separation agreement and names interim

The Rock Hill School District Board of Trustees accepted the superintendent's decision to retire and took multiple actions to effect a leadership transition at its Jan. 28 meeting.

The superintendent announced in open session, "After many conversations with my family and after thoughtful prayer and reflection, I'm excited to announce that I'll be retiring effective Jan. 31." The board moved to accept the retirement and approved the motion in open session. The motion to accept the superintendent's resignation was made by Dr. Belton and seconded by Mr. Burns; the motion carried 6-1 with one abstention.

The board then approved a separation agreement between the superintendent and the district that the trustees said they had reviewed in executive session; the board authorized the chair to execute the agreement on the board's behalf. That motion was approved unanimously.

Finally, trustees voted to employ the district's current deputy superintendent, Dr. John Jones, as interim superintendent effective Feb. 3, 2025. The board authorized the chair to execute the interim superintendent contract; the motion and contract were presented to trustees in executive session prior to the vote.

In remarks before the votes, the superintendent summarized accomplishments during his tenure, praising partnerships with local colleges and community organizations and noting awards and recognitions the district received. Multiple board members offered public thanks and personal remarks about the superintendent's leadership.

Ending: The board approved the retirement acceptance, separation agreement and interim appointment during the Jan. 28 meeting; the chair is authorized to sign the separation and interim agreements. The district did not release the separation agreement or interim contract details at the meeting; the board said those documents were presented in executive session and will be executed as authorized.