Superintendent Jacqueline Hoynes sent an email to her employees at Mentor Schools, announcing that she will be leaving the district after the 2011-2012 school year.

The Mentor Schools Board of Education had discussed a contract extension with her. However, after some soul searching, she decided against it, Hoynes said.

"I'm tired and I'm willing to do something a little less stressful," she said.

She added that while she has a lot of affection for Mentor Schools, she was ready for a job that didn't require as much of her time.

Hoynes teaches superintendency and school finance courses at Ashland University. She said that she would like to do more college-level teaching in the future.

"I see myself as an educator," she said.

Hoynes also said that she announced her intention to step down early so Mentor Schools Board of Education would have as much time as possible to name a replacement.

The letter she sent her colleagues reads:

In 2010, I signed a two year contract extension which ends in August of 2012. I had discussions with the Board of Education about an additional extension, but I have decided not to accept it.

It’s a very difficult decision as I love Mentor Schools and working with every one of you. I feel very proud of what we have accomplished together in the past nine years.

We have been rated excellent seven out of the last eight years and are in the midst of collaborative initiatives which will assure us of continuing that excellence.

Financially, we recovered quickly from fiscal emergency and due to aggressive cost saving initiatives and your help during negotiations we are on solid financial footing for the next few years.

We all can be proud of the groundbreaking work we have done in the areas of mental health and anti-bullying initiatives, especially the adoption of the Olweus program and diversity training for all staff members

We have made great improvements to our facilities with the turf football field, I Wing, and auxiliary gyms. 

My decision to make the next school year my last year is due to my desire to spend more time with my family and to do something a little less stressful!

But, in the meantime, I plan to work hard with you during the 2011-2012 school year to continue to move us toward reaching our vision of meeting and exceeding the instructional needs of our students, maximizing all of our resources, communicating with our stakeholders, and providing a safe learning environment for our students.