Renée Schuster, superintendent of the Francis Howell School District since 2006, said this morning she plans to retire at the end of the school year.

Schuster, who has also worked in the Ladue and Hazelwood School Districts, said she based her decision to retire on the economic and health needs of her family.

Schuster

“Like many families, we have been affected by the economic downturn. By retiring from Missouri, I can open job opportunities for my family in other parts of the country,” Schuster said in a press release. “We have also faced some health issues that remind us that there are no guarantees in life and by retiring, I can secure my family’s retirement future.”

Schuster will request that the Board of Education accept her retirement at the meeting on Thursday. The Board will decide on the process of searching for a new superintendent in November. By announcing her retirement early in the school year, the School Board will have the time it needs to choose its next superintendent, Schuster said.

The Francis Howell School District is one of the largest in the state, with nearly 18,000 students and 2,200 employees.

“I’m proud of what our district has accomplished and the progress we have made,” Schuster said. ”I love this district and am grateful for the many wonderful experiences and challenges of being superintendent.”

Schuster has nearly 30 years of experience in education, having served for three years as the executive director of student services for the Ladue School District immediately prior to coming to Francis Howell. She began her educational career in 1979 as a speech-language pathologist with the Fulton Public Schools and served the students of FHSD at Becky-David Elementary for five years as a language resource teacher and speech-language pathologist. Schuster’s administrative experience began with the Hazelwood School District where she served in many leadership capacities including principal, district-wide coordinator, and director of research and development.

Her education background includes a Bachelor of Education and a Master of Arts from the University of Missouri-Columbia; a Specialist Degree in Education Administration from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville and a Doctorate of Education from Saint Louis University.