Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Superintendent Tricia McManus is retiring at the end of the school year to spend more time with her family.
Toward the end of every school board meeting, McManus gives an update on district happenings. But on Tuesday, she got a little more personal.
“Last July, my grandson was born, and I thought, 'You know what, I'll keep chugging away, and I'll see him when I see him,' and with FaceTime and all the technologies, it makes it a little easier," she said. "But I really have decided, with my family, I really want to be a part of his daily life.”
She said she also wants to spend more time supporting her daughters — Morgan with her new baby, and Megan, who has special needs. McManus teared up talking about her decision, which she shared with board members privately last week.
“I'm not torn because of my decision to be a mom, or to focus on family in this next phase of my life, but because we are doing such great work for kids," McManus said. "I mean there’s so much that I want to be here for, and we’re doing such great work, and it's not done. It's not nearly done.”
McManus first came to the district as deputy superintendent in 2020 and was appointed to her current role in 2021.
She highlighted some of the district’s accomplishments over the last five years, including hitting a record graduation rate, reducing chronic absenteeism, and introducing an alternative suspension program that uses restorative practices.
“I came to Winston-Salem because I believe wholeheartedly that if we're going to be a thriving community, every student needs to thrive," McManus said. "And it is our job to break down barriers, change policies, do whatever it takes to level that playing field, because they're all capable of thriving.”
Kellie Easton with the educational advocacy group Action4Equity, spoke during public comment about McManus’ leadership.
“You have exemplified what it means to listen to community, to listen to families, to listen to children, to break down barriers and to work across all sectors with your supporters as well as your opponents, in order to collaborate to achieve change," she said.
Board members also expressed their gratitude for McManus during the meeting.
"You have made our district so much stronger," said Board Chair Deanna Kaplan. "And I'm crying tears of joy because I'm so happy for you that you can start this chapter of your life, but you will be greatly, greatly missed."
The district, like others across the state, has recently been grappling with financial challenges. Two weeks ago, Chief Financial Officer Thomas Kranz announced his retirement. But McManus denied that these issues played a role in her decision.
“That's par for the course. When you have 53,000 students and you have, you know, 7,000 staff members, you're going to have issues that come up and happen,” McManus said. "Those incidents that have been challenging did not weigh into my decision."
Her last day is June 30. The school board will meet on April 28 to discuss hiring an interim superintendent.
Amy Diaz covers education for WFDD in partnership with Report For America. You can follow her on Twitter at @amydiaze.