Escondido

Early retirement for Supt. Don Hout was unanimously approved Tuesday night by trustees of the Escondido Union School District. Hout, who is 58, asked permission to retire on June 30, eight months shy of his 60th birthday, the normal retirement age.

Hout has been superintendent of the school district for 10 years and says he is now ready to end his 32-year career in education, including six years in the classroom.

He said he wants to retire early “for personal reasons and because things are now going smoothly in the district. This would be a good time to step down.” His reign as superintendent included a 10-minute teachers’ strike in 1983 and a more controversial 18-day strike in January, 1984.

The selection process for his successor is not expected to begin until after three new members of the five-member board of education are seated on Dec. 9.