TAMPA, Fla. — Hillsborough County Public Schools Superintendent Addison Davis will resign from his position after 39 months in the role, the district announced Thursday.
Davis' resignation will be effective July 14.
"It is with a conflicted heart that I write this letter to inform you that I will be resigning from my position as Superintendent of Schools in Hillsborough County Public School District (HCPS) effective July 14, 2023. Over the last 39 months, I have been blessed and honored to lead the 7th Largest School District in the nation. During this time, this administration has worked collectively and collaboratively with the School Board to establish systems and processes that have obtained historic improvements in every facet of our organization," Davis wrote in a letter to the school board chair.
In his letter, Davis said he has the opportunity to return to northeast Florida where his entire family lives and where he was born and raised.
Davis is part of an increased shuffle of school district superintendents in Florida over the past three years. More than 40 of Florida’s 67 district bosses have left their positions on campus in that time span.
“We have had a rather historical turnover,” explained Bill Montford, a former Florida Senator and district superintendent, back in March.
With Davis' resignation, Hillsborough County Public Schools, Pinellas County Schools, the School District of Manatee County, and Sarasota County Schools have all had a change in superintendents over the past year.
Pasco County Schools is also expecting a change in leadership after Superintendent Kurt Browning announced last year that he will be serving his final term in the position.
"To be a leader, you're not always going to be loved or liked, but if you really look at the movements and the things that he's done, I was looking at his resignation letter and just all the wonderful things that he's done for our district," said Hillsborough County School Board Chair Nadia Combs. "We are so fortunate to have had him as long as we had."
Davis oversaw impactful moments during his tenure. Taking the job in March 2020, Davis led the district through the pandemic.
He also shepherded a plan for school boundary changes, which passed in an initial vote last month. The plan will impact about 15,000 students. Davis also helped steer the district through financial challenges.
Davis' letter points to accomplishments during his tenure like improving the district's academic ranking and decreasing the number of historically underperforming D and F schools.
Davis previously weighed in on a provision that would allow teachers and candidates to skip out on having to take and pass the controversial general knowledge exam to help stem a teacher shortage that has impacted the state's schools for years.
In 2017, Investigative Reporter Katie LaGrone and photographer Matthew Apthorp discovered state changes to the test resulted in unprecedented failures, questioning the exam’s validity and relevancy.
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“One assessment doesn’t identify how efficient one can be in a classroom,” said Davis.
In his resignation letter, Davis described his resignation as "one of the most difficult decisions" he's ever had to make.
Board Chair Combs weighed in on next steps moving forward.
"As I look around and I spoke to him today, we talked about several wonderful leaders that we have here internally, and we have a very strong board, and we have a great school district, so I know there's going to be many external candidates as well. I think this is going to be a very sought after position," said Combs.
Once Davis resigns in mid-July, an interim superintendent will take over until Davis' replacement can be found.
According to Combs, there will be a nationwide search.
School board member Karen Perez, whose district is county-wide, also wants to see a nationwide search, but she hopes the district's next superintendent will have strong ties to Hillsborough County.
“I will not vote for someone who does not know this district," Perez said. "I know my question will be, you know, 'How entrenched are you in this district? Who do you know? What have you done for this community?'”
She wants the district's next leader to address inequities by increasing the minority graduation rate and reaching at-risk students through more specialized services and after-school programs.
“I want a superintendent that continues to focus on uplifting those communities that are in high need," she said.
Ellen Lyons, the Vice President of Advocacy for Hillsborough County Council PTA, hopes there's a smooth transition between the Davis administration and the next.
"The most important thing to us is parent and family engagement in schools. We would want the next leader to recognize the value that families can bring to school," said Lyons.
The entirety of Davis' resignation letter is below.
Hillsborough County Superin... by ABC Action News
