PEORIA, Ill. – The superintendent of Peoria Public Schools is opening up about her decision to leave the district at the end of the school year.
Earlier this month, Dr. Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat announced in a memo that she will be leaving the position at the end of the next school year on June 30th, 2026. That’s when her current five-year contract expires.
At a press conference Monday morning during the PPS Convocation at the Civic Center, her first public words since the retirement announcement, Kherat called the decision “bittersweet.”
“It’s kinda hard to let go, but I think it is the right thing to do, we’ve accomplished a lot,” Kherat said.
Kherat listed some of the accomplishments that she was most proud of in her decade running PPS. Those include rebuilding relationships within the community, erasing a $14 million deficit when she arrived, and addressing teacher shortages. More recent accomplishments Kherat listed included a year-round school calendar and implementation of safety policies, such as clear backpacks and cell phone pouches.
Kherat says there’s still some objectives she would like to see through. One goal is to see 10% proficiency with state testing, and getting students to perform better with high stakes testing.
Kherat says there were no discussions between her and the school board and district about a potential new contract. She also did not answer when asked about if she would have accepted a new contract.
In terms of selecting Kherat’s successor, she says that will be mostly handled by the school board, but wants to help train whoever is picked to get them up to speed. Kherat wants the next superintendent to be able to run the district how they see fit, adding that they will get a fresh start with the strategic plan ending the same day as her final day at PPS.
“That will be a very nice opportunity, maybe even starting in January, let’s hope that someone is selected January, February, to start doing that work. And then that would be their plan and their ideas for the community,” Kherat said.
The district will use a search firm to help find Kherat’s successor.
Kherat says she plans to stay around the Peoria area after leaving the district, saying the city is now “home.” She is hopeful to take on a role where she mentors and coaches superintendents in the area.
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