The principal of the high school with the highest academic scores in Sonoma County has stepped down effectively immediately.
Cotati-Rohnert Park School District Superintendent sent an email to the Technology High School community Monday morning announcing Bruce Mims's departure. The message included a four-sentence statement from Mims citing "personal and professional" reasons for his exit.
He will continue to work for the district on "special projects" through June, superintendent Robert Haley said.
"His resignation from the district will be final in June," Haley said. Mims's salary is $96,153.
"We are looking at both interim and long term leadership for the school," said Haley, who will oversee day-to-day operations until a replacement is found.
Reached by phone Monday, Mims, who served at Westchester High in Los Angeles before he was hired to lead Tech High in the summer of 2011, said he is "at peace with the decision" and that it was his choice to leave.
"It was a very personal decision. It was something I needed to do at this time," he said.
When asked about the timing, Mims said that there is "just a lot of stuff going on that makes this a very good decision for the school."
In Mims's tenure, enrollment grew from approximately 200 students to nearly 300 and the school's state Academic Performance Index Score rose to 920 — the highest in Sonoma County. The school, located on the Sonoma State University campus, added a competitive athletic program last year.
In June, for the second year in a row, Technology High scored a top score of 10 in both similar schools and state academic ranking.
Haley said that the move falls under a personnel decision and the district can say little about the departure.
The "Meet the Principal" page on Tech High's website was down Monday.
Staff Writer Kerry Benefield writes an education blog at extracredit.blogs.pressdemocrat.com. She can be reached at 526-8671, kerry.benefield@press democrat.com or on Twitter @benefield.
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