Elementary principal plans retirement

by Erica Bush
For the Post  

The halls of a school in the Trimble Local School District will be emptier at the end of the school year when the district loses its elementary principal.

Delores Stamper-Zesiger, principal of Trimble Elementary School, is retiring at the end of the school year.

“It’s time,” she said. “I have been teaching now for 27 years.”

Stamper-Zesiger worked in the Trimble Local School District all 27 years, including the past three years as the principal of the elementary school. She was an English teacher at Trimble High School for 24 years before becoming principal to try something new.

“It is going to be hard to replace someone like Delores with her years of experience,” said Cindy Irwin, president of the Trimble board of Education.

Superintendent William White also said Stamper-Zesiger has done a fine job as the elementary school principal.

White and the Board of Education will be replacing two principals, as high school principal Diana McCauley also is retiring at the end of the school year. White said it will be difficult to replace the principals at both schools because of their contributions.

“There are candidates out there, but I don’t know if they will be of the same caliber and competency as the administrators that are leaving,” White said.

The school board has not decided who will take Stamper-Zesiger’s place.

The district wants to hire a new elementary school principal with as much academic and other influence as Stamper-Zesiger has had, Irwin said.

Stamper-Zesiger said the daily routine had an effect on her, and she will miss not working with children all the time.

“I have no specific plans on how I’m going to spend my retirement yet,” she said, Yet Stamper-Zesiger said she wants to relax. And Irwin said relaxing will benefit

Stamper-Zesiger.

“Delores works hard and works a lot of hours,” Irwin said.

But Stamper-Zesiger has expressed an interest in returning to work part time in the district — but not as an administrator, White said.