SCRANTON -- Parents and students in the Scranton School District are talking about the sudden resignation of their superintendent.
Bill King, who oversaw the district for the past five years, had his resignation accepted at a board meeting Monday night.
At the fields for the West Scranton Little League, the abrupt resignation of the Scranton School District's superintendent is on everyone's mind.
Most of these children attend the city's schools and many say they are surprised and saddened that Superintendent Bill King will be leaving.
“Because he's really good and I just want him to stay, the superintendent, I just don't want him to go,” said Meadow Curyk, who attends West Scranton Intermediate School.
“It's just going to be different with the new superintendent coming in, to see what he'll do, whoever it may be, and being it's my senior year, you don't know what will happen,” said one student who attends West Scranton High School.
King's resignation was accepted by the school board at meeting Monday night and will be effective on October 1st of this year.
No reason was given.
Marilyn King, who is not related to Bill King, has three grandchildren in the district and says there's more to this story.
“He wasn't fired, he wasn't demoted, he made the decision to leave, but why?” said King. “We may never know.”
King's resignation set off some fireworks at the board meeting.
With members at odds with each other, parents worry that could deter qualified candidates.
“Absolutely. Who wants to step into his shoes and deal with what he had to deal with,” said parent Shannon Maskal.
But Rosemary Boland, the teacher's union president, doesn't see a problem filling the position.
“There are many people available from Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Pocono has laid off many people, and I know there are qualified applicants all over the country that would love to come to Scranton,” said Boland.
Boland says, during her teaching career in the district, she worked for eight superintendents, saying King’s departure is not out of the ordinary.