SANDY — Canyons School District Superintendent Jim Briscoe has announced his plans to retire at the end of the school year.
Briscoe is the longest serving superintendent since the school district was founded a decade ago. He told employees in an email that it was “a very difficult decision” to retire from the district, which he has led since 2014.
“Canyons School District is moving in the right direction as a result of your leadership,” Briscoe said an email to employees. “I have been humbled and honored to work alongside each of you.”
Briscoe said he plans to fulfill his responsibilities “110%” until his retirement.
Briscoe has been an educator for 38 years and a superintendent in Utah and Illinois for the past 18 years.
“For the first time in my life, I have butterflies in my stomach for what the future holds. However, it is time for me to find out what life is like outside of serving and working in a school and community,” he said.
Briscoe said he will work with the school board and his successor to ensure a smooth transition.
Board President Nancy Tingey described Briscoe as a “one-of-a-kind leader.”
“When he leaves us, we will certainly miss his wisdom, good humor and unrelenting focus on the achievement of students. ... He is such an important part of our district’s history, and his work in the past six years has put Canyons on the path to achieve even greater success,” Tingey said in a prepared statement.
Some of the school district’s achievements during Briscoe’s tenure include a new teacher compensation package to bring starting teacher pay to $50,000 annually. The district completed all new school and renovation projects funded by a a $250 million voter-approved bond in 2010. Voters also approved a $283 million bond to continue the district’s building and renovation efforts.
Additionally, the district’s high school graduation rate has increased to 90%, which exceeds the state average.
The school board will determine the next steps to select a new superintendent of the 34,000-student school district.