Maine Township High School District 207 Superintendent Ken Wallace will be retiring at the end of the 2023-24 school year, or about a year from now, District 207 announced Monday.
“It has been the professional privilege of my life to have been blessed to lead this incredible District,” Wallace commented in a statement. “I was eligible to retire a few years ago at the conclusion of the pandemic, but I wanted to see us get back to full-time in person school, and we are also completing the final phase of our building projects this summer after passing the referendum in 2018 to modernize our schools. Our buildings are incredible and built to serve our students in innovative ways for decades to come. It’s the right time for this transition.”
Wallace has served as superintendent since 2009, though he served as the district’s Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction for four years prior to that, the district said. When he retires next year, that will mean he will have spent 15 years in the position and 19 years in the district, making him the longest-serving superintendent in the district’s history, according to a statement.
“Under Dr. Wallace’s leadership, the district has made important advances that have positively impacted student opportunities and outcomes,” Board President Cara Owen wrote in the statement. “He has been steadfast in his commitment to put student interests at the center of all of our decisions in the District, often in the face of resistance and challenge. His courageous and passionate advocacy for innovations designed to benefit the district and its students is a legacy he can be proud of, and the board looks forward to him continuing that advocacy over the next year.”
Wallace said he looks forward to continuing to serve in roles that advance public education, and that he and his wife intend to travel, including to Thailand, where his first grandchild is due to be born this year.
