Superintendent Kevin Mitchell plans to leave his position in the Powell school district next year.

“It has been a great pleasure to serve the school district as superintendent of schools for the past nine years,” Mitchell wrote in a letter Friday to the Park County School District No. 1 Board of Trustees.

The school board will consider Mitchell’s resignation, effective June 30, 2017, at its meeting today (Tuesday).

During his years in Powell, Mitchell “has worked tirelessly on behalf of students daily, not only inside our district, but on a statewide level, too,” wrote Board Chairman Greg Borcher in a statement Monday.

Mitchell dedicates time to serving on various committees and boards and attending state meetings with legislators, “all the while championing on behalf of kids,” Borcher said.

“Today, Kevin is recognized statewide for his leadership in education,” Borcher said.

Mitchell, 58, said Monday he still plans to work in education in Wyoming.

“I have a couple of job opportunities,” he said. Mitchell added that he couldn’t provide a lot of details, but he’s looking at a statewide position, not with the government.

“I just think personally and professionally, it’s time for me to do something else,” Mitchell said. “And I also feel it’s time for the school district to have new leadership. It’s not that anything is negative or going bad at all, but a fresh face every now and then is healthy for an organization.”

Borcher said the board appreciates the timeliness of Mitchell’s announcement so leaders can enter a thoughtful process of finding a new superintendent.

Mitchell said he wanted to give the board a year “to make sure they get a good head start on selecting their new leader.”

“The board would like to reassure our constituents and our staff that we will work diligently to find a candidate who furthers our work in providing a premier educational system for the students of Park County School District No. 1,” Borcher said.

Mitchell said he was fortunate to be given the opportunity to work in the Powell school district, which he said has the reputation of a high-performing school district.

Borcher said the board is proud of how Mitchell has guided the district. Board leaders look forward to continuing the course Mitchell has set the district on, “just as we look forward to our work with him this next year,” he said.

“Not only instructionally, Mr. Mitchell has guided the district through the building of the new high school, two new elementary schools and Powell Middle School, as well as the demolition and remodeling of our other buildings,” Borcher said.

Mitchell said he’s thankful for Powell’s new school facilities and that the staff, board and community took advantage of that state funding while it was available. Funding for new school construction has since decreased significantly due to the downturn in the energy market.

“Powell is set for many, many years to come for facilities,” Mitchell said.

He added he’s also proud of the district’s leadership, including the Board of Trustees and administration team, which he called top-notch.

“That’s not all me, but I was a part of it,” Mitchell said. “And I think there’s certainly an intense focus on students, and I was part of that as well.”

Mitchell said he plans to stay in the Powell community. His wife, Jo Mitchell, teaches music at Westside Elementary School and “is not retiring anytime soon,” he said.

“We’re not leaving Powell,” Mitchell said. “If I get the job I’m looking at, I can live right in Powell. In fact, if I can’t live in Powell, I’m not going to take the job.”

Mitchell said he also is interested in consulting with other school districts and speaking about education.

In his letter to the school board, Mitchell said he’s appreciated the support from the board, administrative team, school district employees and community as a whole.

“The time that my family and I have lived in Powell has infused orange and black in my blood for the rest of my life,” he wrote.