LARGO - Pinellas school district superintendent Clayton Wilcox announced his resignation this afternoon.

Wilcox, 53, will ask the School Board for the resignation to be effective June 1.

Wilcox said he is taking a job in New York City with Scholastic Corp., the world's largest publisher of children's books. According to a news release from the school district, Wilcox has been named vice president, education and corporate relations. He will be responsible for "building relationships with district administrators, state departments of education and education organizations," according to the release.

Wilcox has been at the helm since Nov. 1, 2004, when he replaced longtime superintendent Howard Hinesley. Wilcox was the first superintendent hired from outside the county in almost four decades. Before coming to Pinellas, he was superintendent of the East Baton Rouge Parish school system in Louisiana.

With 106,000 students, Pinellas is the 22nd largest school district in the country and seventh largest in the state. It has more than 140 schools and an annual budget of about $1.5-billion.

Wilcox's salary this year is $204,509.

"I have loved my time working with the students, parents and educators of Pinellas and we have made real progress toward our goals," Wilcox said in the release. "Now, I am taking another step in my career and toward my dream of helping to improve the literacy of students all across the country."

Stay tuned to the Gradebook for more coverage.