Kurzberg Will Retire as Braintree Superintendent in June

After 22 years leading the Braintree Public Schools, Superintendent Dr. Peter Kurzberg will retire at the end of this school year.

Dr. Kurzberg announced his intent to retire at the end of Monday night's School Committee meeting. His retirement will take effect June 30.

"I have loved every day that I have served in this capacity, but I know that it is time to begin to transition to another phase in my life," the superintendent wrote in a letter to the committee, which he read aloud in the BHS auditorium following an especially full meeting, which included discussion on the annual budget, space needs and full-day kindergarten.

"I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with such bright, talented and wonderful people for twenty two years," Dr. Kurzberg said. "The quality of the staff with whom I have worked, from the central office to personnel in the schools, has made it very easy to serve as superintendent."

Dr. Kurzberg said he has been thinking about retiring for a few months, and chose Monday to make his announcement because he decided there would never be a perfect time for such a "bittersweet" moment.

The superintendent and his wife Karen Kurzberg live in Braintree and have no plans to leave, Dr. Kurzberg said. He added that he does not know yet what he will do in retirement, but that his family will continue to contribute to the town.

"The Braintree community has been part of the fabric of our lives," he said.

Among the highlights of his career in Braintree have been reducing the dropout rate, expanding extracurricular activities and special needs offerings and working with educators to produce some of the best test scores in Braintree's history.

Prior to taking the reigns in Braintree, Dr. Kurzberg was an assistant superintendent in Barnstable and before that a special needs teacher in Connecticut.

"He's ending an era," Committee Chair Shannon Hume said. "He will be missed."

Added Mayor Joseph Sullivan, "Thank you for all that you've done. Thank you for all that you will continue to do over the next six months."