Huntsville City Schools Superintendent Christie Finley announced on Friday that she will retire at the end of the current school year. A successor has yet to be named.
“I am announcing my retirement from Huntsville City Schools at the end of the school year,” Finley said. “As I reflect on my thirty years in education, 30 plus almost 32, I think about why. We are always asked why we do what we do. It’s because we love working with children, and we know that children are our future.”
“Those who know me know I have been talking about retiring when my youngest son graduates,” Finley explained.
“This team has had powerful successes,” Finley said. “My goal in this district has been to leave the district better than I found it.”
“Our team has built a sustainable financial model and a long-term plan for our capital needs,”
Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle thanked Finley for her service.
“Christie Finley has been a dedicated public servant and an exemplary leader for Huntsville City Schools,” said Mayor Battle. “We thank her for her years of service to our teachers, students, parents, and community. We trust the Huntsville Board of Education will find an outstanding new superintendent to lead our education system.”
Finley became a teacher at Bob Jones School in 1992. She later became a counselor before moving into administration, where she worked as a principal, director of secondary programs, and deputy superintendent. She has served as Huntsville City Schools Superintendent since 2018. She has a bachelor’s degree from Auburn University, a master’s degree in school counseling from Alabama A&M University, and an educational leadership degree from the University of South Alabama.
Finley’s tenure saw new capital projects, improved financial spreadsheets, higher teacher pay, and progress in the system’s decades-old desegregation lawsuit. There were some controversies, including the Common Core educational standards and a teacher who moonlighted as a drag queen.
Huntsville is the largest city in the state of Alabama. The Huntsville City School System has 23,514 students. The system has earned a NICHE B+ rating and is ranked as the 35th-best system out of Alabama’s 138 school systems. It is the 9th most diverse system in the state and is 66th for high school athletes.
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