THOUSAND OAKS : Conejo Valley Chief of Schools to Retire

Conejo Valley Unified School District Supt. William Seaver has announced his retirement after 36 years of teaching and school administration.

The 62-year-old superintendent announced his retirement at a school board meeting Tuesday night in Thousand Oaks, board President William Henry Jr. said.

Seaver could not be reached for comment Wednesday. But Henry said the superintendent’s retirement came as no surprise to school board members.

Seaver told the school board of his intention to retire nearly a year ago. He made it public now so officials could begin the search for a new administrator.

With 1,350 employees and 28 schools, the Conejo Valley Unified School District is the second-largest district in Ventura County, behind Simi Valley Unified.

The biggest challenge for a new administrator is how to keep educational programs for the 17,650-student school district intact in the face of state budget cuts, Henry said.

Seaver will remain in his $108,000-a-year post until June. School board members hope to hire a new school administrator at a slightly lower wage, Henry said. The search for a new school administrator will begin early next year after the school board elects its new officers, Henry said.

Seaver’s first teaching job was at Oxnard High School, where he began teaching agriculture in 1956.

In 1962, he transferred to Thousand Oaks High School to work as a counselor. Ten years later he became principal. He became the Conejo Unified School District’s third superintendent in January, 1988, replacing Tom Boysen, who left to head the county school system in San Diego.

Seaver has said he will remain in Ventura County at his Camarillo home after his retirement, Henry said.