Unalaska middle and high school principal Mark Alston submitted his resignation letter Wednesday, citing complications with his mental health as reasons for stepping down.
He originally planned to stay with the district for 30 days after submitting his resignation, but Superintendent Kim Hanisch said Alston updated his departure date Monday morning.
“He turned in a resignation effective immediately. So today is his last day,” Hanisch said in a phone interview Monday morning.
Assistant principal Greta Bruce is taking over for now. According to Hanisch, Bruce has the proper certification for the position and has been working closely with Alston this school year.
“So it isn't going to be a real major adjustment in the way things are going here,” Hanisch said.
Bruce’s positive relationship with students, staff and families will help make for a smooth transition, she added.
“We'll gain some momentum pretty quickly, I think, with her leadership,” Hanisch said.
Alston was most recently employed with the Bering Strait School District where he worked as a program coordinator in Nome. He replaced former Unalaska middle and high school principal Carly Morris who had held her position for just one year.
Hanisch is looking at ways to help improve principal retention, including speaking with former school leaders.
“I'm reflecting on everything because we definitely do not want to have this upheaval — every year, a new principal,” she said. “It definitely impacts staff morale and students and families as well. So anything that we can change to alleviate [that], I'm looking at.”
This isn’t a unique issue to Unalaska — school leadership turnover is a problem across the nation, according to Hanisch.
She said there’s no penalty against Alston for ending his contract early.
The district hasn’t posted a job opening for the principal position yet, but school officials are working with legal counsel to determine next steps.
