In a surprise announcement Monday, Karen Barnhill resigned as principal of Lee County High School after just one year in charge. In an email sent to staff, Barnhill stated that a family illness led to her decision to resign.

“It is with a heavy heart that I have opted to resign immediately as some additional things have arisen with my family that need immediate assistance,” Barnhill’s email read. “LCHS needs complete consistency, and I cannot guarantee that moving forward with all I have going on with my family.”

Lee County Schools superintendent Chris Dossenbach met with LCHS staff Tuesday morning to discuss the sudden change.

“I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason,” Dossenbach said. “I hate that we’re here, but we’ve got to look at it as an opportunity and look at it from a positive standpoint. Try to get someone here that wants to be here for the long haul.”

Dossenbach also announced Cindy McCormic will serve as interim principal while an immediate search for a permanent principal begins.

McCormic, retired as a principal since 2010, has worked with UNC-Greensboro and NC State over the past several years helping to train new principals. McCormic and Dossenbach became friends while she was training a principal at Southern Lee while Dossenbach was principal. Since then, the respect between the two has only grown.

“There’s nobody that I’m aware of that has more high school or middle school experience,” Dossenbach said. “She comes with a wealth of knowledge and experience and I think we will do well here in the short amount of time she is here.”

“When he asked would I do this after working with curriculum instruction this year, absolutely,” McCormic said. “I went to his office yesterday morning and said if you need me to go, I’ll go. We typically thought it may be Southern Lee that I might have to go to. Its exciting.”

The two previously discussed McCormic serving as interim principal at Southern Lee, which is also looking for a principal after the retirement of SLHS principal Molly Poston.

The opening for a new LCHS principal was posted Tuesday.

Dossenbach has an important job to fill the vacancy quickly. This will be the fifth principal in six years to be hired at LCHS.

“We need someone that is well-versed in how high schools work,” Dossenbach said when describing an ideal hire. “I think we need someone that is well-versed in curriculum, processes and procedures.” He added that Lee County schools wants someone with experience as a high school principal and is not looking for someone that is a first time principal.

McCormic, who previously worked as a math teacher before turning to administration, said her goal this summer is to make sure whoever is hired as principal can hit the ground running.

“I just want, when the new principal starts, I want them to be able to come in and worry about teaching and learning,” McCormic said. “I don’t want them to have to come in and worry about managerial things. Things that haven’t been done, I want to get as much done for that person before school starts. Then, its up to them to look and make decisions.”

Dossenbach said the goal is to have the right hire in place as quickly as possible, but left the door open for McCormic to work throughout the summer. The first day of school for students is August 14.