MIDDLESBORO — Middlesboro Independent School System Superintendent Darryl Wilder recently announced his retirement, which will be effective on June 30, 2009 — the official end date of the fiscal school year.

“My plan is to retire, and spend some time with my grandson,” remarked Wilder. “I’m going to relax for a while.”

Wilder has definitely earned his retirement after spending 39 years in the field of education in Middlesboro. Wilder began his career in 1970 as a teacher at Middlesboro High School. He also served as principal of Middlesboro Middle School for 10 years, and then as principal of the high school for 12. Wilder is bidding farewell to his proffesion after reaching the top and serving a 12-year term as Middlesboro Independent School’s Superintendent.

“I’ve been really fortunate to do what I love to do for a living,” stated Wilder. “We don’t realize what we really have sometimes. But I’ve been so fortunate to be in Middlesboro with all the wonderful faculty, staff and especially the kids. It’s all been just great.”

Plans to replace Superintendent Wilder are not yet official, but are underway. Members of the Middlesboro Board of Education have notified the Kentucky School Board Association of Wilder’s decision and a meeting between the two boards is slated for Jan. 26. That meeting will determine what steps need to be taken and what guidelines must be followed in order to find a new superintendent.

Following Wilder’s announcement during the regularly scheduled board meeting, a new board chairman and vice-chairman were appointed. For 2009, boardmember Bill Johnson will remain as Chairman of the Board and boardmember Edie Kelley will serve as vice-chairperson. An administering oath was also given to the re-elected board members that ran unopposed during the Nov. election. Accepting the oath were boardmembers: Vickie Byrne, Edie Kelley and Kelly Shoffner.

A targetted discussion was led by Director of Pupil and Personell John Chadwell regarding the school system’s attendance reports. Chadwell said that each school would be switching from the STI computer program, which monitors student’s attendance, to a program known as Infinite Campus. Chadwell and other school officials will receive training so that Infinite Campus can be utilized in the best way possible to manage each student’s attendance report and number of absences and tardies. Much like STI, Infinite Campus will be used to prevent truancy.

The board also approved the following items:

• Student learning and support consent items

• Activity reports for all four schools; cafeteria report; treasurer’s report; payment of bills and salaries

• Making payments to First State Financial of Pineville, First State Financial of Middlesboro, Community Trust Bank of Pikeville and the Monticello Banking Company for the KISTA Lease

Future board meetings will be held at 6 p.m. on the third Monday of each month in the Middlesboro Central Office Conference Room, unless otherwise noted during a preceeding board meeting. A motion was made by boardmember Vicki Byrne to adjourn the session, all boardmembers agreed.

Sarah Miracle is a staff writer for the Daily News. She can be contacted via e-mail at smiracle@middlesborodailynews.com.