HUMBOLDT — Nearly four months after he was placed on administrative leave, Craig Smith resigned Monday night as Humboldt High School principal.
His resignation by letter came after USD 258 board members met in executive session for 40 minutes.
Superintendent of School K.B. Criss said when Smith was suspended from his duties on Dec. 14 it was being done for “personal reasons,” and that his leave would be effective “until further notice.”
Following a Jan. 9 board meeting, Criss said Smith would remain on paid administrative leave and day-to-day operations at the high school would be under direction of John Johnson, assistant principal.
In a letter Criss sent to patrons on Dec. 16, he said Smith’s “administrative leave is a personnel matter and the district will have no further comment … It is important that you understand that the situation involving Mr. Smith in no way compromises the welfare of students or the overall operation of the school.”
Smith was in his second year as high school principal. He had been in the district 13 years, previously serving as a teacher, coach and assistant high school principal. He was elevated to principal at the start of the 2010-11 school year.
The Register was unable to reach Smith for comment.
His resignation Monday night was accepted on a unanimous 7-0 vote.
In other personnel actions, board members approved hiring Jeff Wilkerson as golf coach and Jack Morrell to teach summer driver’s education. Georganna Jarred announced her retirement from 27 years as a paraprofessional at the elementary school.
Board members also accepted a Kansas Clean Diesel Bus grant of $36,000, which will be applied to the purchase of a bus to replace one that will be sold for scrap to raise additional money for the purchase.
