SAVANNAH, Ga (WSAV) — SCCPSS superintendent Dr. Ann Levett will be retiring this year after 10 years of service to the school system.

School leaders say the decision was thought about for several years but was put on hold due to the challenges the Savannah-Chatham County School System faced.

Among those challenges were severe weather, the COVID-19 pandemic and a series of hoax calls across the country, including one threatening gun violence against Savannah High School last year.

“My contract doesn’t end until ’24 but I have been contemplating for several years now my exit. When I came to the district, I was one year short of being able to retire,” Levett said. “I have stayed far beyond that because as a member of this community, I thought it my responsibility to not create additional disruptions to the district by leaving in the middle of a pandemic.”

Dr. Levett was hired as Chief of Academic Affairs for SCCPSS in 2013 and sworn in as Superintendent in 2017.

SCCPSS said that she has helped “staff and families navigate unexpected disruptions, including numerous weather events and a global pandemic, all while working to raise the level of excellence found throughout our school district.”

Dr. Levett’s retirement will take effect on June 30.

She is the 24th superintendent of the school district.