Oak Park Unified Superintendent Jeff Davis to retire at end of school year
This story has been updated with a statement from Oak Park Unified School District's board president.
Jeff Davis, superintendent of Oak Park Unified School District, will retire at the end of June after three years at the district and 37 as an educator.
Davis, who will be 64 when he steps down, announced the decision in a letter Wednesday morning, saying life was pointing him toward a "new beginning."
His wife, Laurie, retired in June from her role as principal of Weathersfield Elementary School in Thousand Oaks. Davis wrote that her retirement, along with the deaths of a close friend and brother-in-law and the arrivals of new grandchildren, helped convince him to retire.
"It is time for me to cherish these precious moments with family and pass the baton to capable hands that will continue to lead OPUSD forward," he wrote.
Read more: Oak Park Unified School District names next superintendent
Davis arrived at the 4,200-student, seven-school district in July 2021 after four years as an assistant superintendent in Ventura Unified School District. He previously served a seven-year stint with Conejo Valley Unified School District and two years as an assistant superintendent at La Cañada Unified School District in La Cañada Flintridge.
He led Oak Park during its return in person after the pandemic forced campus shutdowns.
Denise Helfstein, Oak Park's board president, thanked Davis in a letter published by the district early Thursday afternoon.
The superintendent, she wrote, brought the district "a fresh perspective while respecting the time-honored traditions, academic excellence and focus on educating the whole child that OPUSD is synonymous with."
Davis' current salary is $246,000 annually. In a phone interview early Wednesday afternoon, Davis said Oak Park trustees had offered him a contract extension in the spring that would take his tenure through June 2026. He asked for time to consider the extension, then made his final decision and informed the board in October, he said, before telling district staff on Wednesday morning.
The board last met Oct. 12, but Helfstein said trustees will start looking for Davis' successor immediately, starting with a special meeting Tuesday. Helfstein said she would share a fresh update on the district's next steps on Nov. 8.
The board has until July to hire a successor for Davis. His predecessor, Tony Knight, held the role for 17 years. The district appointed Davis in April 2021.
Isaiah Murtaugh covers education for the Ventura County Star in partnership with Report for America. Reach him at isaiah.murtaugh@vcstar.com or 805-437-0236 and follow him on Twitter @isaiahmurtaugh and @vcsschools. You can support this work with a tax-deductible donation to Report for America.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Oak Park Unified superintendent to retire at end of school year
