CHESAPEAKE – Chesapeake superintendent Fred Wood Jr.

Friday, January 11, 2002

CHESAPEAKE – Chesapeake superintendent Fred Wood Jr., officially retired from his position with the district at last night’s school board meeting.

Wood has served a total of 31 years at the Chesapeake school system, with 20 years as a principal or assistant principal and 10 years in his current job.

Wood, who was present at the meeting, read a letter to the board informing the group of his decision to leave. He told the board that he had enjoyed his tenure as a teacher and administrator and he was "proud of his accomplishments as superintendent."

"There comes a time," Wood said, "when it’s time to go." Wood said he had reached a point in his professional and personal life when it was "not a bad time to make a change."

Wood said the school district’s recent 19 on the state’s department of education’s Report Card, the addition of a new middle school and elementary school, and the improvements to the high school are all high notes to his career.

He said, "I think we’re going in the right direction…we’ve came a long way and I’m proud of what we’ve done," and now was a good time to retire from his job.

Wood said the idea to retire has evolved over the last few months. Wood will resign on July 31, the last day of his contract.