Norwich — Superintendent Abby Dolliver announced plans to retire June 30 after nearly nine years as the head of the city school system and earlier tenures as director of student services and as a social worker.

“After many discussions with my family as well as my own personal reflection, I have made one of the most difficult decisions in my career. I am notifying you of my intent to retire as of June 30, 2019,” Dolliver wrote in a letter handed Tuesday to the Board of Education during an executive session to discuss her mid-year self-evaluation as superintendent.

After emerging from the session, board members quickly commented that her evaluation was a positive one.

Dolliver, 65, said she plans to remain active in the community, preferably in a role that involves education or services to the city’s children. Dolliver said she will find something to satisfy her and give back to the community and to local kids.

“We wish her the very best in whatever she decides to do,” said board Chairwoman Yvette Jacaruso. “She’s going to have all this leisure time now. Very sad to see her go. She’s been a very good leader of the Norwich public schools and a very good spokesperson.”

Jacaruso said Dolliver attended every community meeting and school event she could make to watch students perform at concerts, school functions and academic competition. “Her heart is with the students, and to make them better students as she went along.”

Board member Patricia Staley complimented Dolliver for making the Norwich school district a model for the state. Norwich’s use of state Alliance District and Commissioner’s Network School funding often were cited as models for other districts.

Other board members joked that in searching for a new superintendent, the board will need to find someone who will work “24-7” and never sleeps. “She’s the Energizer Bunny if there ever was one,” one member said.

Dolliver said she had mixed emotions “leaving my life’s work,” but that at age 65, it was time to turn the district over to a new leader.

“I’ve been so fortunate to have worked with a board, and all the boards pretty much in my tenure that put students first. You don’t always find that, and so that’s made my job easier, because that’s what my job is, to put students first, regardless of what’s going on.”

Dolliver, who was named superintendent in March 2010, succeeding Pamela Aubin, and her tenure started with one of the worst budget seasons in years at the time. That trend would continue, as Dolliver oversaw tighter and tighter budgets, the closure of three elementary schools, restructuring of the middle schools and then their reconfiguration back into middle schools with federally funded magnet themes.

Dolliver grew up in Norwich, daughter of noted local businessman and civic leader Stanley Israelite. She started her teaching career as a school social worker from 1986 to 1999. She left the district to take a position at LEARN, a regional special education center, and earned her administration degree while at LEARN. Dolliver returned to Norwich in 2007 as director of student services and special education.

Board members said Tuesday night they will decide at an upcoming meeting how to conduct the search for a new superintendent, a process that could involve forming a search committee or having the entire board serve as the search committee, as was the case in 2010.

Dolliver said she would mostly miss the students and the progress they make on a daily basis.

“My biggest wish is that more community people would come in and see what we’re doing,” Dolliver said. “Because there’s so many good things happening, you can’t just judge us based on a number or a rumor. We’re doing so many good things for kids, and it’s not me doing it, it’s everybody else doing it. People should celebrate that in our community. We’re very fortunate. We’re diverse and we have so many gifts that we need the community to celebrate.”

c.bessette@theday.com