Laurel School District officials say no decision has been made as to how a search for the district’s new leader will be conducted.

Laurel School District Superintendent Dr. Glenn McGee surprised and shocked school districts officials Wednesday with his announcement that he will step down as superintendent of the school district at the end of the school year.

Laurel School Board President Miranda Beard said the board learned of McGee’s intentions on Tuesday.

“On Tuesday, the school board accepted Dr. McGee’s letter of intent to retire,” she said. “I hate to see Dr. McGee leave.”

McGee, who has worked in the field of education for 37 years, told the room filled with Laurel School District employees and the media on Wednesday that he is retiring at the end of the 2009-2010 school year for personal reasons.

“I was shocked,” Deputy Superintendent Dr. John Harper said following the announcement. “Of course, we hate to see him leave, but it was great to have an opportunity to work with him for 10 years.”

McGee also acknowledged concern about the possibility of the state issuing additional budget cuts for schools and the need to improve academic achievement of students. However, McGee said in the auditorium at the school district’s central office that he was retiring for personal reasons.

McGee, who is married and has two children and a granddaughter, said he wants to spend more time with his family.

School Board member Greg Brown said he respects McGee for his decision.

“I applaud Dr. McGee for recognizing the importance of family,” Brown said. “He stated he wanted to spend more time with his family, and I respect him for that.

“He has placed his family above his profession,” Brown added. “People need to remember that our families are most important.”

McGee said he decided to retire on Tuesday night, just prior to informing the Laurel School Board, which was conducting its regular meeting.

“At some point you have to make some changes,” he said. “You don’t make the decision easily to walk away.

“I’m at this serious point in my life where I want to concentrate on family, spirituality and my friends more,” he added. “It’s not a decision I had to make.”

Beard said McGee still has two years remaining on his contract. However, based on his letter of intent, the board will begin working on a search process.

“At this point no decisions have been made on the search process,” she said Thursday. “We will begin a search for his replacement soon. We have already made contact with individuals on the state level.

“We will have subsequent meetings to discuss the process,” Beard added. “We have not sat down yet as a board and voted on the process.”

McGee was appointed superintendent of the Laurel School District 10 years ago and began his tenure here on July 1, 2000.

Harper, who has worked in the Laurel School District for 31 years and has worked with the last three superintendents, said he considers the time he’s worked with McGee to be “a great opportunity. ...There have been a lot of positive accomplishments made in the district as a result of his leadership and the support of the school board.”

Under McGee’s leadership, he has led the district through several changes, including the passage of a bond issue that helped to fund the Laurel School District’s Strategic Facilities Plan — which involved various improvements at the existing schools in the district and the recent construction of the new middle school.

As a part of the bond issue, the school district built the new state-of-the-art Laurel Middle School, which marks a more than a half of a century achievement. Prior to the construction of the new school, officials said, it had been over 50 years since the school district had broken ground for a new school.

While McGee said his decision to retire is final, he reminds everyone that he plans to continue to serve the school district well throughout this school year.

McGee said the district will continue to work on school improvements and students’ achievements.

Beard said the board — which conducted a nationwide search 10 years ago which netted McGee — will be looking for someone to continue the school district’s improvements.

“We will be looking for someone to take Laurel to another level of student achievement,” the school board president said. “The Laurel School District has got to move forward and go to another level. ...We need somebody ready and willing with a vision to get us there.”

Beard said the board will be making a decision soon on “how to go forward to find a replacement for Dr. McGee.”

“We don’t want to rush the process,” she said. “We want to make sure we get the best person for the Laurel School District, and we know that the process could take months.”

McGee’s resignation will become effective June 30, 2010.