By AARON MUELLER
Niles Daily Star

Diana Davis, superintendent of Buchanan Community Schools, submitted her resignation to the school board on Monday.

Her retirement on July 1 may come as a surprise to the community, as she had not discussed it publicly at all this school year. A month ago she was leading a community forum about how to approach next year’s budget cuts.

“A big part of the decision was personal,” she said in a phone interview Wednesday. “I think it’s just time, and you know when it’s time. My job has always been the thing all my decisions are made around. After 34 years of that, my life should revolve around some other priorities.”

Davis has been the superintendent of the district the last four years and has been an educator for 34 years.

“It’s been a great profession,” she said.

Davis said she will miss the day-to-day challenges of being superintendent and her colleagues.
“Educators are a good group of people to work with,” she said. “They are enthusiastic and hard working. They’re good people to be around. I will miss that.”

Davis’ job is far from over as $1 million in necessary cuts from next year’s budget still loom over her head.

“I still have a lot of work to do,” she said. “I have to have a budget before I leave.”

But she added: “We’re close.”

She said one staff reduction and one teacher layoff might be on the way.

“We’re happy it’s not more,” she said.

Davis said she believes the board will begin a search for her replacement very soon. Messages to members of the board were not returned by presstime.