State school board seeks replacement for Utah's retiring superintendent

The state school board will immediately start the process of looking for a new Utah superintendent to replace a retiring Larry Shumway, the board's chairwoman said Friday.

Board chair Debra Roberts announced that she and fellow board members Tami Pyfer, Janet Cannon, Laurel Brown, David Crandall, Kim Burningham will constitute the superintendent selection committee. She said an ad soliciting applications will be published as soon as possible. She said she hopes to complete the selection process in October.

Shumway officially announced his retirement Friday after confirming his intentions Thursday night. He said he simply felt it was the right time to go. Roberts said the board accepted his retirement with "great reluctance."

"My wife and I have considered at some great length and arrived at the conclusion that for her and I and our family it's the best thing for us to do at this time," Shumway said Friday. He said it's been a great experience serving "this board, the schools and districts of Utah. I believe in public education and I believe in the role of public education as fundamental to our constitutional way of life."

Shumway will retire effective Jan. 1 after three years as state superintendent and 33 years in education.

lschencker@sltrib.com

Twitter: @lschencker —