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During a recent board of education meeting, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Superintendent Tricia McManus announced that she will be resigning from the district June 30.

“Thank you for the opportunity to lead the amazing students and staff in this great community I have called home for the past five years. I have enjoyed meeting and serving thousands of students, families and community members in pursuit of our vision for educational excellence, collaboration and inclusiveness,” McManus wrote in a letter submitted to the board of education.

McManus first joined WS/FCS as deputy superintendent in June 2020, before being named superintendent in 2021.

“We are deeply grateful to Superintendent McManus for her unwavering dedication to this community. She is a relentless advocate for our schools and has worked tirelessly for children,” said Board of Education Chair Deanna Kaplan in a release from the school district. “She will leave our district stronger. We will miss her positive attitude. She is an all-in superintendent. There are no words to express our gratitude. We are excited for her as she moves on to this new chapter in her life.”

During her time at WS/FCS, McManus oversaw the district’s return to in-person classes after the COVID-19 pandemic and pushed for schools to make academic recovery. Under her leadership, the district adopted a series of “Future Ready” initiatives, with a focus on enhancing inclusion, sense of belonging and deeper learning.

McManus said in the release that she is proud of what the district has accomplished in the last five years, including improved proficiency in math and reading, the district reaching its highest ever graduation rate, and increases in the number of students of color taking Advanced Placement courses and taking three or more Career Technical Education credentials. Under her tenure, the district increased the number of students taking dual enrollment courses at Forsyth Tech by 68 percent.

McManus’ announcement does come at a bit of a fraught time for WS/FCS, as the district was forced to make significant cuts to central office positions, outside service contracts and take-home vehicles to make up for a multimillion dollar budget shortfall in both the current fiscal year and the upcoming one.

School district CFO Thomas Kranz announced his own resignation following the discovery of an approximately $16 million in overspending in the district’s audit. 

On April 28, the board of education held a meeting to discuss plans to hire an interim superintendent. McManus will continue to work with the board through the transition period.