New Suffolk School District

New Suffolk school’s head teacher Holly Plymale resigns

(Credit: newsuffolkschool.com)
This will be Holly Plymale’s final year as New Suffolk’s head teacher. (Credit: newsuffolkschool.com)

New Suffolk Elementary School District head teacher Holly Plymale is resigning from the post she’s held for nearly nine years.

Ms. Plymale, who’s a former New Suffolk student, said she has decided to step down at the end of this school year due to “health issues,” according to her resignation letter read by Superintendent Michael Comanda during the school board’s meeting Tuesday.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your support and guidance you’ve given to me over the years that I’ve been teaching at this school,” Ms. Plymale wrote. “Teaching at New Suffolk has provided me with the wealth of knowledge and experience that I will take with me in my future pursuits.”

After the school board unanimously approved Ms. Plymale’s resignation, school board president Tony Dill said he did so “very regrettably.”

He also listed how the district improved during her tenure. Mr. Dill said Ms. Plymale’s accomplishments include: restoring the community’s support for the school after a referendum to close a portion of the school failed by a small margin, increasing student enrollment, expanding the pre-k program to five-days a week, creating a new instruction model for grades 3-6, and developing next year’s foreign language program, among other things.

“All of these items have transformed the school and provided a sound foundation for its future growth and development,” he said. “The community has also thought of the school as a special place and, as a result of her work over nine years, it truly is.

“She’s going to be awfully hard to replace, but she left us in a very, very good position here.”

Mr. Comanda said he and the school board are in the process of preparing a search to find a new head teacher. Ms. Plymale has agreed to assist the district in selecting her replacement, he added.

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