After six years of serving the Phoenix Central School District as its superintendent, Judy Belfield will retire at the end of the school year with plans to spend time with her family and remain an active contributor to the community.
As a lifelong educator, Belfield has mentored teachers, taught students and infused learning into the communities in which she has lived and worked. She hopes her years of service will be felt throughout the Phoenix community long after her retirement.
“I’ve learned so much since being hired as superintendent here in 2010,” Belfield said. “I have learned how to make a dollar extend beyond its elasticity. I have learned how to creatively fill budgetary gaps with minimal layoffs and maintain programs for the benefit of our students and our community. This district and this community have so many positive things happening.”
The list of “positive things” includes volunteerism, teamwork, service projects and other activities that unite Phoenix Central School District students with community groups and organizations. Belfield cited initiatives such as Blizzard Bags, food pantry donations, Salvation Army bell ringing, senior citizen activities and hosting the Oswego County Olympiad Invitational as points of pride.
“I am greatly appreciative of the volunteerism in our community,” Belfield said. “We have so many volunteers for everything. This is one of the few places I know of where the school district is the community.”
That community spirit will be an essential quality for Belfield’s successor. Other traits and characteristics will be outlined and established based on the results of a community survey, which is available here. The deadline to submit the online survey is 11 p.m. Oct. 30.
While the superintendent search process plays out, Belfield noted that her commitment to the district and its students will remain strong even after she retires.
“I still love my job,” she said. “I still love this community. My husband and I live here and we will still be in Phoenix. I am looking forward to spending more time with my family – my five grandchildren, two sons and my supportive husband, Mike.”
For Belfield, who stressed the importance of family support, she also said that the support from staff members and colleagues have contributed to the district’s overall success.
“I’m very thankful for the support I’ve had over the years,” she said. “I have an awesome administrative team, phenomenal teachers, a supportive board of education, and fantastic students with caring parents.”
For more information about the superintendent search and for updates throughout the process, please visit www.phoenixcsd.org or contact a board of education representative.