Horry County Schools superintendent plans to retire early, capping 35-year career
HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — The chief of South Carolina’s third-largest public school district plans to request an early end to his contract so he can retire, officials confirmed on Tuesday.
Rick Maxey, who has led Horry County Schools since 2015, notified board members last week, according to a story first reported on Tuesday by the Post & Courier Myrtle Beach.
He was named the 2024 South Carolina Superintendent of the Year.
District spokeswoman Lisa Bourcier told News13 later Tuesday that no formal announcement about Maxey’s plans had been made, but David Cox, Horry County Schools Schools Board of Education chairman, confirmed Maxey’s decision.
“Dr. Maxey has not requested to be released from his contract yet, so that he may enjoy the rest of his life in quiet enjoyment. He planned on making that request next Monday, and at the same time he was going to announce his retirement to 6500 employees,” Cox said in an email to News13. “However, they found out from a news report last night about his plans. Because of an egregious breach of confidentiality, a highly sensitive email was leaked to a reporter.”
Late Tuesday afternoon, Bourcier sent out a news release with Maxey’s announcement.
Maxey-Retirement-Announcement-to-HCS-StaffDownload
According to the Post & Courier, Maxey decided over spring break to end his 35-year tenure with the district, which began teaching English at Loris High School.
“It has been an incredible journey that has given me the opportunity to have a positive impact on students and to develop life-long friendships that I will always treasure,” Maxey said in his letter to the board, the newspaper reported. “The Bible states that to everything there is a season, and for me, I believe that time has come to conclude my career with Horry County Schools.”
The Post & Courier reported that Maxey wants to retire when the fiscal year ends on June 30 but is willing stay on through Dec. 30 to ensure a smooth transition.
News13 requested a copy of Maxey’s letter on Tuesday afternoon. Cox simply replied, “no.”
In 2021, the board bumped Maxey’s salary from $227,304 to $266,000. In November, district leaders extended his contract through 2027.
“The Board would like to thank Dr. Maxey for his leadership of Horry County Schools to exceed state and national standards. We would also like to say how proud we are to work with the South Carolina Superintendent of the Year,” board members wrote in Maxey’s annual review. ” The Board maintains the utmost confidence in Dr. Maxey’s vision, leadership, strong communication skills, and individual characteristics and work traits.”
Horry County Schools last year approved its first billion-dollar budget.. HCS, which has nearly 50,000 students, trails only Greenville and Charleston county schools in size in South Carolina.
* * *
Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW.
