PEORIA, Ill. – After 11 years of leading Peoria Public Schools, Dr. Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat is looking forward to retirement.
“I think my work is pretty much done, and it’s time to move out of this position, not my purpose… and, look into another chapter. So, I’m excited about that,” Kherat says.
The superintendent tells WMBD’s “Greg and Dan Show” that she isn’t leaving Peoria, and plans to renovate her home as she begins this new phase.
Dr. Kherat has a little over a month left at the helm of Peoria Public Schools.
She announced her retirement at the beginning of the school year, saying she wanted to finish the year strong.
Dr. Kherat taught at PPS in 1986, then returned as superintendent in 2015. She says she faced some big hurdles right off the bat.
“I did not expect the $14 million deficit. I did not even know that we had over 100 teacher vacancies on the shoulders that we had. But, for me those things are opportunities. I don’t look at them as problems,” Kherat says.
Since then, Peoria District 150 has increased its graduation rate, reduced chronic absenteeism, eliminated teacher shortages and strengthened teacher retention.
Kherat’s last day with Peoria Public Schools is June 30th. Dr. Jerry Bell takes over as superintendent on July 1st.
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