Owensville High School Principal Cindy Hawkins announced her intentions Monday night to retire earlier than expected — due to an illness in the family.
“It is nice to leave on a …
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Owensville High School Principal Cindy Hawkins announced her intentions Monday night to retire earlier than expected — due to an illness in the family.
“It is nice to leave on a positive note, and it has been a great experience,” Hawkins said in her retirement letter to the board. Hawkins came to the district from Windsor, Mo.
Hired at the start of the 2016-17 school year, Hawkins addressed an all-school assembly Aug. 22, 2016, including seniors that were on their fourth principal in four years.
She told freshmen that she “would be around when they graduated in 2020.”
“That is true,” Hawkins said regretfully Monday morning. “That was my hope. There have been some family health issues that I am going to have to retire earlier than I wanted to.”
During her three years with the district, Hawkins has delved into multiple projects, including an alternative program that helps students at both ends of the spectrum, she said, that need help or are moving on.
“There have been changes to the special education program that are exciting, things going on at our campus keep growing and moving, and we are utilizing our space differently,” Hawkins said.
She added that there has been a lot of turnover due to retirement in the last few years. “Now the new, young staff has a lot of great ideas, and the kids are really centered,” Hawkins said. “It makes my job easier and their jobs easier when we are all marching to the same drummer.”
Coming to the decision to retire early was not an easy one. “I have been talking to the boss on and off for the last four months. I love it here,” Hawkins said. “I am so excited about what the board plans for the next five years. I see a lot of positive stuff. It’s like giving away your baby. But I have prayed about it and talked to family, and feel this is the best thing to do.”
Hawkins said if not for the unexpected, she would almost stay forever.
“I love it,” she said again.
According to her resignation letter, her last day will be June 28, 2019. She and her husband plan to relocate to the Springfield area where his family resides.
