Valley View School District superintendent retiring after this school year

Valley View Community Unit School District 365U is searching for a new superintendent just one year after hiring its current leader.

Superintendent Dr. Keith Wood will be retiring at the end of the 2025-26 school year, the Valley View school board announced Friday.

Wood was hired as the district’s superintendent in May 2024.

The board will begin the search for his successor, who will take over on July 1, 2026.

“This is an exceptional opportunity for a visionary and experienced educational leader to join a thriving, diverse, and fiscally strong school district,” the district said in a written statement.

Valley View School District educates about 15,500 students from Bolingbrook, Romeoville, and parts of Plainfield, Lockport and Downers Grove.

The district has 21 educational facilities with more than 2,400 full-time staff members.

The first step in the superintendent search process is completing a district Community Survey, offering community members the opportunity to “express their hopes and desires” regarding the next leader of the Valley View community, the district said.

The survey is open to Valley View students, parents, staff and the entire community, the district said.

“The Board of Education is committed to finding the best leader to guide VVSD into the future and values the input of our community, staff, parents, and students,” the district said.

Wood, a Bolingbrook resident, joined the Valley View staff in 2011 when he was hired as principal for Brooks Middle School and served in that position for 13 years.

In 2022, he was selected by the Illinois State Board of Education as Middle School Principal of the Year, and he also represented Illinois in the National Association of Secondary School Principals.

To access the survey, visit the district’s website at vvsd.org/our-district/news-media.