ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – St. Johns County Schools is preparing to bid farewell to its long-serving superintendent, Tim Forson, who announced his retirement in November.
Forson, who has dedicated his entire career to the district, will step down at the end of June. The school board is actively searching for his successor.
Forson reflected on his decision to retire, saying, “I think that I had done it, worked in the system for a long time, and sometimes you just get to that point to feel it’s time to step out and allow the system to move forward.”
Forson has been the district’s top leader for nearly nine years, beginning his journey as a teacher 45 years ago. He expressed pride in his career, particularly during his tenure as superintendent.
“We went through a period from 2020 with COVID, and had other periods of time immediately following that, where there were shortages for employees and many of the challenges that came not just education, but to many different industries. And I feel like we’ve continued to stay focused to have success in the classroom with children,” he said.
Under Forson’s leadership, the district has expanded significantly, adding multiple schools, including five new ones that are either about to open or are under construction.
“Another part of it is being in a county and being in a school system that enables you to do that, to respond to the demand,” he said. “To have a good team on board that helps to plan well, a good facility team that constructs well, and a human resources department that looks to fill those needs as they come forward.”
Forson is not involved in the search for his replacement but hopes for a smooth transition.
“My goal in the last couple of months of this system is that you really don’t see any difference. You don’t see a lot of change, except to see us continue to hold high expectations and the district do even better in the year ahead and in the years ahead,” he shared.
As for his retirement plans, Forson looks forward to spending more time with his family.
“We’ll probably travel a little bit, something that I haven’t done, certainly in the last eight and a half years, but my wife and I and family, you know, it’s just an opportunity to spend more time together,” he said.
At the end of our conversation, Forson shared that it’s been a true blessing to spend his entire career with St. Johns County Schools.
“It’s been an honor to serve. It’s been an honor to be a part of it. I think in the end, I’ve done we’ve done the system has done good work for children, and that’s all we’re here to do, keep them safe and give them the tools to walk across the stage to have success, for whatever that happens to be in kids' lives today, because the opportunity is endless right now.”
The school district has posted the job opening for the superintendent role, with applications being accepted through March 28.