NORTHFIELD — Pioneer Valley Regional School Principal Mike Duprey said Monday he is resigning not retiring.
“I am resigning from the Pioneer District and seeking employment hopefully somewhere locally,” said Duprey. He cited health reasons.
The Recorder reported Saturday that Duprey announced his retirement based on information from Superintendent Ruth Miller. She was not immediately available Monday to clarify.
On Monday, Duprey said “I did not announce my retirement, I announced to the faculty and the superintendent, my resignation,” he said. “I still have three or four more years before I want to retire.”
If he can’t find another job to transition his retirement benefits to, Duprey said he’ll retire through PVRS. He will leave the school in late August, before the new school year begins.
“I was very surprised to see a report that Duprey was retiring,” said Bill Wehrli, former principal of PVRS, who left in December of 2015. Wherli and Duprey worked together at the school for eight and a half years. Today, he works at the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, an accreditation service.
“We worked together for years. I know him pretty well as an educator,” he added. “Mike’s kids went to Pioneer, graduated from Pioneer. He coached the football team to a championship. This was a guy who bleeds black and gold. This is a guy who’s really good at his job, and it’s a big loss for the school district.”
Duprey, who has worked for the school for 26 years in various capacities including interim principal and athletic director, cited health problems as the reason for his resignation.
He’s the fourth long-term staff member to leave the school since fall 2015.
Besides Werhli, computer technician Mike Holloway and director of special education Sharon Jones have also left.
“This is a guy who has put 26 years into the district, and lives and breathes it,” Werhli said. “What’s going on there?”
Many in the region are wondering what’s going on in the school.
Frank Ribeiro, past chairman of the Bernardston Finance Committee, said he’ll be at the School Committee Meeting Thursday night to find out.
“It seems suspicious,” he said. “And you’ve got people jumping into the lifeboat — not even jumping into the lifeboat, jumping into the water. These are people who are looking to retire here.”
You can reach Andy Castillo at: acastillo@recorder.com
or 413-772-0261, ext. 263
On Twitter: @AndyCCastillo