After 39 years in education, Lake Mills Community School Superintendent Daryl Sherman is retiring.

Sherman, who grew up on a dairy farm near Parkersburg, Iowa, has been superintendent in Lake Mills for 21 years. Before that he taught elementary school in Lake Mills for 12 years, and was then a shared district curriculum coordinator for Forest City, Northwood-Kensett and Lake Mills for six years. For three of those six years, he was an assistant elementary principal in Forest City.

He graduated from Central College in Pella, Iowa, with a degree in elementary education in 1976. He earned a master’s degree in educational administration from Minnesota State University, Mankato, in 1983 and an educational specialist degree from Drake University in 1995. He got his interest in education from his mother, who was a teacher.

Sherman will be retiring from Lake Mills Community School at the end of June, and he said it will be bittersweet.

The decision comes with Sherman’s desire to spend more time with his family. He has three sons who all have families — his son Dave and his wife, Kelly, and their children Isaac and Charlotte live in Bloomington, Loren lives in West Des Moines, Iowa, and Daniel and his wife, Abbigail, and son Truman live in Des Moines, Iowa.

“You reach a point when you want to retire when you’re still healthy,” Sherman said.

The search for a new superintendent has begun, and the applications are due Feb. 21, Sherman said. Student groups, staff and faculty and the community will be involved in the process.

Sherman noted during his time as superintendent many accomplishments have been made at Lake Mills Community School.

Some of these accomplishments include good student achievement scores, stabilized enrollment and an upgraded facility.

One of these upgrades is a new FEMA tornado shelter that can hold 905 people. This shelter was finished last March.

Sherman said he has a great school board and staff, and he’s very attached to the community, giving his career a bittersweet ending.

After retirement, Sherman and his wife, Joyce, will stay in the Lake Mills area.