Kamloops-Thompson superintendent set to retire at end of school year

KAMLOOPS – The Kamloops-Thompson School District will bid farewell to its current superintendent, who has served the district for almost 39 years, at the end of the school year.

Supt. Karl deBruijn announced his retirement earlier this week, saying he will leave at the end of the current school year. In July of 2016, he will have completed two years as superintendent and 11 working for the school board in various other roles.

“My position was intended to be interim,” deBruijn says, adding he was promoted during ‘a fair amount of instability.’ 

As assistant superintendent before the 2014 teacher’s strike, he was already familiar with the role and says it made sense until things calmed down.

“I was pleased to accept it, but it wasn’t my plan,” deBruijn says, noting he was already contemplating retirement before his promotion.

His departure comes at the perfect time because a new curriculum will be implemented for the next school year. DeBruijn says the district needs someone ‘committed to seeing it through.’

The process to find his successor has already begun and he anticipates a hiring likely by March 2016.

DeBruijn says he’s enjoyed every one of his 39 years in School District 73 but won’t get nostalgic just yet.

“I still have a lot of work to do. It’s full speed ahead until the very end.”

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