Ironton City School Superintendent Stephen Kingery handed in his letter of resignation to the Ironton Board of Education Thursday night. His departure is effective May 30, essentially the end of the school year.

In his letter, Kingery wrote that "almost 33 years has come and gone since the Ironton City Board of Education employed me to work in our district in the summer of 1970.

I have served as elementary teacher, elementary principal, assistant superintendent and superintendent during my tenure with the Ironton City Schools. Now the time has come for me to bring my career with the district to a close." In closing he thanked the staff and administration for its support over the years

Kingery's move came at the end of a roughly two-and-a-half hour meeting. The board accepted Kingery's letter without comment, but applauded when board president Teresa Parker thanked him for his years of service.

The board will meet Tuesday night in special session at the Administration Building to discuss this and other personnel matters. That meeting will be at 6 p.m.

"We will discuss a plan of action on this," Parker said after the meeting. "We'll get our ducks in a row." Parker said the board must consider whether they will be the review committee or whether other people will involved in the selection process.

Kingery said he has no specific plans to work elsewhere but may consider other opportunities. In the meantime, he said he will become more actively involved in his church, "play a little golf, do a little traveling and not worry about snow days" after he leaves his post in May.

Kingery came to the Ironton City System after two years as a teacher in the Rock Hill School District. He began his tenure with the city system as a teacher at Whitwell Elementary. He has been superintendent since June 1999.