Kent said he had been weighing retirement.
"I've been struggling with it about a year," he said. "I am, by nature, a term limits guy. ... I think there is value in change and revitalization."
Kent, 59, has spent 38 years as a state educator, all of them in the Madison County School District. He was Madison Central High School's principal before being elected superintendent in 1999. Under his leadership, Madison County schools have consistently ranked among the top districts in the state.
During his tenure, Ridgeland High was built and two more bond issues were passed, the second funding construction of Germantown High, set to open in Gluckstadt this fall.
"We've gone from nine schools to 23. We've spent $300 million on new construction," he said.
The district serves nearly 12,000 students. "When I took office, we had about 7,000 students, and we had more kids in trailers than in bricks and mortar, but we're about to get that remedied." Kent said.
Kent also pointed to the district's achievement of unitary status, which "returned local control to the school district."
The district got out from under the U.S. Justice Department in 2006. A group of Madison County residents unsuccessfully challenged the change.
Board member Bill Grissett Jr. noted there has been no tax increase in the Madison County district in six years and attributed that to Kent's leadership.
Whoever is elected as the district's superintendent will need to follow Kent's lead "because what he's had in place has been working," Grissett said.
Deputy Superintendent Ronnie McGehee said Wed-nesday he plans to file qualifying papers to run for the job Friday, and Kent is endorsing him.
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