Pender County Schools superintendent to retire this fall after 5 years in district
The top Pender County Schools administrator will retire this fall after five years with the district.
Superintendent Steven Hill announced Tuesday during a school board meeting he will retire from the school district. His last day with the district is set for Oct. 10. Hill has served as superintendent since 2017.
“After 32 years of public service it’s time to start giving back to my family full-time,” Hill said in a news release Wednesday. “Pender County Schools put its faith in me five years ago and over that time the district has been through a lot. I’d like to think that we came out of it all stronger and I have no doubt the district will continue to thrive.”
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Hill has played a key role in helping the district adjust to the growing Pender County population since taking office, according to the news release. Notably, he headed an effort to give voters the chance to weigh in on a $178 billion bond this November to build a new elementary and middle school. The Pender County Board of Commissioners will take a final vote on the bond proposal in August, and residents can vote on it in November.
Also under Hill's leadership, Pender Early College High School became the first school in county history to be named a National Blue-Ribbon School, a U.S. Department of Education program that recognizes exemplary schools across the country. Pender Early College High School was one of only eight schools selected in North Carolina.
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Surf City Elementary and Middle Schools and Penderlea Elementary School opened in the 2018-19 school year, and other schools throughout the district completed renovations during Hill's tenure.
Hill helped guide the district through damage and turmoil caused by Hurricane Florence and led the schools through virtual learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We thank Dr. Hill for all of the hard work and dedication that he has put into his time with Pender County Schools,” said Brad George, Pender County School Board of Education Chairman, in the news release. “The work that Dr. Hill has done will live on for years to come, and if the bond is approved in November the schools that will be built will be his legacy and help with his vision of providing a pathway from the classroom to careers.”
Hill is set to take on a leadership role with the Pender County Chamber of Commerce, according to the news release.
Reporter Sydney Hoover can be reached at 910-343-2339 or shoover@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Pender County Schools superintendent to retire this fall
