Rick Mills says goodbye to Manatee County School District

As he cleared out the 5-Hour Energy drinks and Lays potato chips from his desk drawers and removed from a white wall in his office military medals packaged with a folded American flag, Rick Mills' "million dollar view" from the fifth floor of the School Support Center didn't look the same.

The former superintendent's office housed meetings with colleagues and quiet moments and quick snack breaks before sometimes chaotic School Board meetings. But, that day, it was empty.

May 13 was Mills' last day with the district.

Still teary-eyed from the swearing in of his colleague and now-superintendent, Don Hall, Mills, dressed in sandals, plaid shorts and a polo shirt, was bracing for life outside of the Manatee County School District.

"This is the new, retired me," Mills said, smiling and looking down at his intentionally casual outfit. 

Although he planned to stay with the county for the duration of his career before he eventually retired, his career ended abruptly after months of discontent between Mills and School Board members, a small population of the community; his sudden desire to retire was in response to "just bad politics," he said.

His 25-month tenure with the district was peppered with personal and professional trials.

Three months into his superintendent role, his 22-year-old son died. Mills joined a district with crippling debt and no one to lead it out of its financial rut, he said. Election seasons disrupted the School Board and took focus away from financial and educational stability for students, too.

He was forced to cut positions and make other difficult decisions to help put more dollars into the district's sinking budget.

"No one wants to cut positions," Mills said. "I had a tough two years in a lot of respects, with strains and stresses that were challenging. The way the county operated and the state it was in when I got here were obstacles and would've been stressful for anyone. Leaving takes a burden of my shoulders in some ways."

But, he isn't leaving the district with a heavy heart or regrets.

"Every decision I made was, I believed, for the children and our schools," Mills said. "The district is in a good place now — a much better place than it was when I got here, and it took me six months to get a head count of how many employees we had (in the district)."

With Hall in place as the interim superintendent while the search the next superintendent ensues, what's next for Mills?

The 60-year-old has the pensions to retire. But, will he?

Mills has considered applying for the superintendent position in Brevard County. Or, maybe he'll utilize his recently acquired budget-balancing knowledge and apply for a financial advising and planning position.

"I do love to golf," Mills said. "But, I'd get bored just sitting by a pool. I have a lot of energy and knowledge, and a lot to offer. I'm not sure I'm ready to let that go, yet."

Contact Amanda Sebastiano at [email protected]