Turlock Unified School District announced Thursday that it will be losing one of its longest-tenured administrators on Aug. 1. Assistant Superintendent of Business Services Edward Felt resigned his position Thursday morning during a special Board of Trustees meeting.

Starting Aug. 1, Felt will be taking the helm of the Newman-Crows Landing Unified School District the superintendent.

Felt has worked for TUSD for 28 years and started as an assistant principal at Turlock High School in 1983. Since 1993, he has worked at the district office in various positions involved with curriculum development. Two years ago he accepted a move into business services.

“The superintendent position became available, it was very attractive to me and I feel I’m prepared,” said Felt. “I can’t wait for Aug. 1 and the new challenges that wait. The NCLUSD has an enrollment of about 2,700 students and is home to Orestimba High School.”

Felt will be missed amongst his fellow administrators and teachers. Rod Hollars, current Pitman High principal, has worked with Felt since he began at THS.

“I have mixed emotions, I’m very happy for Ed. This (is) well deserved and a long time coming, but I’ve lost a long time colleague and confidant. I rely on him a great deal for his wealth of knowledge,” Hollars said.

Over the years, Felt said, the greatest part of his job has been the relationships he’s made with the TUSD community.

“I’ve been very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with so many great teachers, wonderful families and very talented students,” he said. 

Nearly three decades of working with kids has led Felt to several beliefs about education and children. Unlike many of his peers, you’ll never hear him say “these kids nowadays.”

“All kids are the same generation to generation. They want to be successful and want to please adults. The world around them may change, but kids don’t,” Felt said. “One of the keys to success is to provide kids the opportunity to get that euphoric feeling of being a champion. If a kid gets that feeling they can never get enough of it.”

Felt moved to Turlock with his wife Jodi in 1983 because, he said, it was an affordable place to raise a family and a great community. Jodi will be entering her 27th year as a first grade teacher at Dennis Earl Elementary and their two daughters, Amy and Tracy, are both Turlock High graduates. Tracy is a geometry teacher at Pitman High School and Amy lives in Menlo Park.

“With the current housing market we plan on staying in Turlock, but I will become a member of the Newman-Crows Landing community, it’s very important for a superintendent to do that,” said Felt.

To contact Jonathan McCorkell, e-mail jmccorkell@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2015.