Hamilton High School principal, assistant principal submit resignations on same day

The principal and an assistant principal at Hamilton High School submitted their resignation notices on the same day to city school officials last month, the Journal-News has learned.

According to documents obtained through a public records request, Hamilton High School Principal John Wilhelm and Assistant Principal Jana Lewis will end their employment with the district this summer.

Both veteran high school administrators submitted letters of their coming resignations on Feb. 25.

They informed district officials they will remain in their current positions through the rest of the school year, formally ending their employment with Hamilton Schools on July 31.

Neither Wilhelm and Lewis provided specific reasons in their resignation letters for departing, and neither responded to messages seeking comment.

Hamilton Schools Superintendent Mike Holbrook was asked by the Journal-News if there were other reasons regarding the unusual, simultaneous submission of resignation notices by two top leaders of the high school, but he declined to respond beyond wishing both well.

“The Hamilton City School District and board of education do not comment on personnel matters,” said Holbrook. “The district wishes Mr. Wilhelm and Mrs. Lewis the best with their future endeavors.”

Their resignations came barely a month after the former Hamilton Schools Athletic Director Bill Stewart quit in the wake of district and Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) investigation into the ineligibility of a high school boys basketball player.

The Journal-News was the first to report on the investigation, which included findings of Stewart’s violation of state prep eligibility procedures, said Hamilton officials.

Wilhelm, who is in his eighth year as the high school’s principal, earns more than $129,000 annually.

In his resignation letter, Wilhelm told district officials “thank you for understanding my decision to leave this position as I look for an opportunity to expand my own growth and experiences.”

Lewis, who has been an assistant principal at the high school since 2011, earns more than $102,000 annually.

In her resignation letter, Lewis stated “there comes a time when life takes you in a different direction and that time has come for me.”

“Thank you for understanding my decision to leave this position,” she wrote, without elaborating further.

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