PIMA — The Pima School Board has announced it is accepting applications to be the school district’s next superintendent.
“After 14 years, Superintendent (Sean) Rickert is scheduled to retire at the end of the 2025-26 school year and the board is looking for his successor to step into the role effective Jan. 1, 2026. It is hoped this will provide a smooth transition,” The board wrote in announcing the opening.
Rickert recently shepherded construction and opening this year of the new high school on Ash Creek, near U.S. Highway 70.
It was also this summer that Rickert announced the district was now “a comprehensive P-20 education system.”
Thanks to the new high school, the old high school is being split between the Little Riders Academy: Nurturing Early Learners — which will serve more than 60 students aged 3 to 5, as well as offer childcare services for children aged 0 to 5 — and EAC at Pima.
EAC at Pima is a 12,000-square-foot portion of the old high school building being leased to Eastern Arizona College for the next 10 years, where EAC can offer a variety of programs designed to develop marketable skills and personal interest courses.
“I have greatly enjoyed being the superintendent at Pima Schools. However, it has come to my attention that it is time for me to step down and pursue opportunities that are less stressful. My wife and I plan to remain in the Gila Valley, and I will continue seeking opportunities to positively affect the quality of education that is available to children in rural Arizona especially here in the Gila Valley. Working with the staff, students and parents of Pima has been my great pleasure,” Rickert said in an e-mail to Gila Valley Central.
“Over the next few months Pima will work to identify quality applicants from around the nation who are interested in the position. The plan is for the new superintendent to begin in January. I will continue to work for the district through the end of the school year in June, so for six months we will work hard to ensure a smooth and effective transition.
“As far as a statement goes, it is hard to speak of leaving. When I started in Pima, there was a ton of unrealized potential. My goal has been to turn that potential into performance. The district has been evolving, and our focus on serving students while providing them a high-quality education has enabled us to do some great things. It has been a tremendous honor to be involved in this effort.”
The Pima Unified School District serves about 1,100 students.
