Petersburg School District Superintendent Erica Kludt-Painter announced her retirement Wednesday, December 13 after 23 years with the district. She said in an email that the decision came “after much soul-searching and deliberation.”
She will retire at the end of the school contract year, June 30 of 2024. The school board will begin the search for her replacement immediately. Kludt-Painter said in the email “I feel confident and hopeful about the district’s future with a strong administrative team and staff, and multiple projects and plans in process to keep things moving forward.”
Kludt-Painter says during her tenure, she “poured her heart and soul” into her work. She has been superintendent for nine years. Before that, she was principal of the Rae C. Stedman Elementary for 14 years.
She made the announcement to the Petersburg School Board while in executive session at yesterday’s regularly scheduled meeting. The board plans to formally accept Kludt-Painter’s retirement during its meeting in January.
School board members Sarah Holmgrain, Katie Holmlund, Carey Case, Jay Lister, and Niccole Olsen said in a joint letter Wednesday, December 13 that Kludt-Painter “made the job of a school board member an easy one.” They noted her grace in ushering the district through difficult situations and the support she provides to both new and experienced staff.
Kludt-Painter plans to stay in Petersburg with her husband Jon, who will continue on with the district as its technology director. She says she’s excited to have some flexibility in her schedule, and is looking forward to spending time with her parents, and to traveling. She also hopes to do some work mentoring aspiring principals and superintendents.
School board members encourage the public to share kind words in anticipation of her retirement. Emails can be sent to exec@pcsd.us, mail can be sent to PO Box 289.
