Wichita Superintendent Alicia Thompson plans to retire at end of school year
Alicia Thompson, the first woman and first Black superintendent of Wichita Public Schools, will retire at the end of the school year, district officials said on Thursday.
Thompson, 53, has held the top position for the state’s largest school district since 2017. She has worked for USD 259 for 31 years, starting as a kindergarten teacher at Ingalls Elementary School.
In a letter sent to parents on Thursday afternoon, Thompson said she will be eligible to retire through KPERS — short for Kansas Public Employees Retirement System — at the end of the school year.
“Until that time, I will continue to give 100% to our students and this amazing school district,” Thompson wrote.
Thompson said she chose to announce the decision this month so the Wichita school board has time to appoint a new leader before next fall.
“I chose to announce my intention now so that our Board of Education will have sufficient time to search for a new leader,” Thompson wrote. “I have informed the board of my decision, and I know they plan to hold their first public discussion about the process at their next meeting this coming Monday.”
“The board respects her decision to retire. But she is huge shoes to fill,” BOE member Sheril Logan said at a Thursday news conference.
“She is now and always has been an outstanding, an excellent employee.”
Logan said Thompson’s major achievements as superintendent include guiding the district through the COVID-19 pandemic, raising graduation rates and expanding the district’s career technology programs.
Logan, who was a member of the school board in 2017 when Thompson was hired, declined to speculate on how the board will go about naming her replacement.
“We’re going to end up with some kind of a timeline, but we don’t know what that is yet,” Logan said. “These are open discussions, and we will be discussing it Monday.”
Logan said a top priority for the district’s next superintendent will be improving academic achievement, especially for students who fell behind during the pandemic.
This story was originally published November 3, 2022 at 4:12 PM.