Superintendent Mike Grove, who joined the district in 2018, will be retiring this summer or early fall after the board finds his successor, according to an email sent to students and staff on April 1.

Grove, 54, wrote that he has been battling a rare and slow-growing form of cancer called Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma, for which there is no known cure. While his prognosis is uncertain, he realized that his quality of life will erode slowly and he needed to retire to maximize his life quality. 

“The phrase ‘life is short’ has never had a more immediate and meaningful impact upon me than it does now, and I plan to embrace that ethos as never before as I move into retirement,” Grove wrote.

He added: “It is an incredible honor and privilege to work with our staff and community to support our simply amazing kids, and I look forward to this district continuing to thrive in the future.”