After nine years leading the district and 41 years with Mounds View schools, superintendent Dan Hoverman announced his retirement scheduled for the end of the current school year at a Tuesday board meeting.

During his tenure, Hoverman advocated for post-secondary student achievement, encompassing an Early College program giving high school students in the middle of their classes (30th to 70th percentile) the chance to earn associate degrees for free on campus. Also part of the effort: The district's Equity Promise, meaning all students would be prepared for post-high school success.

Other strategies included a plan so all juniors in the Mounds View district could take the ACT exam for free onsite.

"Over the past nine years, I have worked to serve the students, parents, staff, the Board and the broader School District community to the best of my ability by always leading with the best interests of students in mind," Hoverman said in a release on the district's website. "I feel very confident that this school board will keep Mounds View well positioned for continued success." School board chair Amy Jones called Hoverman "the finest superintendent and leader in Minnesota education" in the release. "He has led the District with integrity and a personal touch," she said. The board will turn its attention to the superintendent vacancy at its April 12 board meeting.