Lynchburg City Schools superintendent Dr. Paul McKendrick announces his retirement as superintendent of the school division. He noted that the timing is right for him to pursue other career goals. The retirement becomes effective Friday, June 30th.
McKendrick began working in the school division as its deputy superintendent in 2001 when he moved from Long Beach, California, after having worked in the Long Beach (CA) Unified School District. He has been superintendent of Lynchburg City Schools since 2005.
McKendrick stated that after 10 years in the school division, and with the recent graduation of his son from E. C. Glass High School, now is the right time for him to pursue other opportunities.
During his tenure as superintendent, the school division has continued to make significant improvements and gains in community engagement, professional and leadership training, and student achievement. At the school board's last meeting, for instance, he mentioned that the dropout rate in the school division is at 1.47 percent, the lowest it has been in 10 years.
Moreover, schools in Lynchburg have met state accreditation each year, despite the challenge of having approximately 58 percent of its students qualifying for the free and reduced lunch program. Also, for the seventh consecutive year the school division's two high schools have been ranked in the top five percent of high schools nationally, as noted by Newsweek magazine.
Other accomplishments during McKendrick's tenure as superintendent include the revamping of the alternative education program, expanding Advanced Placement offerings, increasing the number of students in pre-kindergarten classrooms, building of the new Sandusky Middle School, creating the Fort Hill Community School, expanding professional development, improving classroom instruction by training staff in Skillful Teacher, and implementing parent academies/community engagement forums.
The school board is grateful to Dr. McKendrick for his service and for his many contributions to LCS and wishes him well in his retirement and future endeavors.