By Kathryn Reed

After 32 years in public education, Lisa Noonan is ready for a change.

Now in her fifth year as superintendent of Douglas County School District, Noonan will not be at the helm next school year.

At least that is the plan. She has not given the board a hard retirement date, but instead is willing to work until a replacement if found. The board on March 3 is meeting to discuss how to go forward. Noonan said she hopes the board considers internal candidates.

“If Lisa wanted to stay longer, that would be wonderful,” Ross Chichester, president of the school board, told Lake Tahoe News. “We will look for someone as powerful as she is. She is collaborative and innovative. She has really, really turned the Douglas County School District around from times when it was not a popular place to be a board member. She has done a wonderful job through hard years of budgets.”

Lisa Noonan is retiring this summer as superintendent of Douglas County School District. Photo/Provided

Noonan, 55, is looking forward to spending more time with family. She and her husband have six grandchildren – which is two more than when she started the job – who are spread out all over the country.

“I’ve missed out on things while serving other people’s children,” Noonan told Lake Tahoe News.

In her job, taking substantive time off isn’t always do-able. And a workweek, well, it’s much more than 40 hours.

“There are always projects. If you ever wake up and you are finished, something is wrong,” Noonan said.

She said it’s time to change her priorities and put family before work.

“I think probably what I will carry with me the longest is my tenure took place during very difficult economic times for the state and our profession. I tried to be caring and compassionate as possible with the tough choices that had to be made,” Noonan said. “Gently we got through those difficult times budget wise. There was no handbook on how to do that.”

Bringing full-day kindergarten to all schools and increasing the rigor at the high schools are other accomplishments she is proud of.

She was 23 when she took her first full-time teaching job at an elementary school. She has a bachelor’s from Humboldt State University, master’s from San Diego State University and doctorate from UNR. She was working for Washoe County School District in administration before being hired by DCSD in 2010. Noonan plans to continue living in Nevada.

“Our kids are just awesome. Our future is bright for all of us. We have great kids. That is nice and reassuring,” Noonan said.

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Notes:

• The special board meeting to discuss how to go forward with finding the next superintendent is March 3 at 4:30pm at the district office in Minden.

• Douglas County’s front office in Minden has already seen changes in the last year. Rich Alexander and Lyn Gorrindo, both assistant superintendents, retired last summer. Teri White was hired as assistant superintendent, doing much of the human resources work.