On the morning of November 20, 2023, Washoe County School District Superintendent Dr. Susan Enfield announced that she was leaving the District. She submitted her letter of resignation on November 15, but it was short and sweet, simply stating that she was submitting her 90-day notice to “pursue other opportunities”.
This came as quite a shock to the Board of Trustees, who had just hired Dr. Enfield just over a year ago. Dr. Enfield once said that she would be with the District as long as the board would have her, so no one saw this coming.
Kayla Anderson – Washoe County School District Superintendent Susan Enfield during a board meeting discussing updates to the county’s Sexuality Health And Responsibility Education curriculum for fourth and fifth graders inside the administration building in Reno on July 25, 2023.
Beth Smith, president of the Washoe County School District Board of Trustees, said that it was “heavy news to receive on behalf of the board” regarding Dr. Enfield’s resignation.
“It was a shock. Dr. Enfield’s time with the school district has been marked with incredible progress, changes that’ve really served our kids, our staff, and our community, and while I absolutely respect her decision, it hit me with a heavy heart,” Smith said.
She added that the board recently gave Dr. Enfield a very strong Year 1 evaluation, and per her resignation letter she will serve out the following 90 days and be compensated for that time. In the next few weeks, the board will discuss who will serve as the interim superintendent as well as bringing in vendors to conduct a national search, all to take place in public meetings/forums. Smith reiterated that the issue will not be discussed at the next WCSD meeting to be held November 28, but it could be put on the agenda for either December 12 or January 9th.
She called Dr. Enfield a “visionary” who made decisions that moved the District forward in growth and progress. When asked about the revolving door of superintendents and Dr. Enfield’s short tenure, Smith said that it is something that her and her colleagues have discussed and will give introspection to. She added that superintendents across the nation seem to not be staying in their positions very long, only averaging 2-3 years.
“The ‘because’ part is something that needs to be figured out in each community; it’s an extremely demanding role which Dr. Enfield is more than equipped professionally to manage ,but I think these are some questions that we need to be exploring as a community,” Smith said, saying that longevity is something that the board really wants and is something they’re willing to place a premium on but it’s not something they can control. Smith was asked how that may affect the students in the District and its 3-year strategic plan that Dr. Enfield was a proponent of, to which she replied, “Changes within a system take 3-5 years and so when you have instability in that system then it moves that trajectory… We really do want consistent long-term leadership.”
Dr. Enfield then spoke to the media, saying that she wanted to make it clear that she loved serving the WCSD community but has also always preached the importance of putting health and family first, and to do that she felt she needed to “pursue other opportunities that take [her] away from here”. She confirmed that she will work for the District until February 9, working hand-in-hand with President Smith and the board on a smooth and seamless transition. Dr. Enfield added that she doesn’t know what she’ll be doing after February 9 because her focus is still solely on following through with her commitment to the WCSD. “I have no intention of being a lame duck,” she says.
When asked how long she had been thinking about leaving the District, she said she couldn’t put a timeline on it but last week she had a “moment of clarity” that led to this decision.
She pivoted to say that one of her biggest accomplishments has been the formation of the strategic plan that the community, herself, and the board created. “We’ve set bold goals that our kids deserve. I’m proud of the work that went into that plan, I’m proud of the work that is happening to implement that plan, and I think my biggest regret is that I won’t be here to see that work follow through,” Dr. Enfield said.
Dr. Enfield then emphasize how much she loved her job with the District. “I feel so lucky to have been able to live, lead, and serve this community. This is a wonderful place and I have pretty high standards. I almost don’t have words for how proud I am.”
Leave a Reply