On March 11, the De Soto School District reviewed and accepted De Soto High School’s principal Mark Meyer’s resignation after he accepted the principal position at Gardner Edgerton High School.
“It’s my hometown. It’s basically where we still reside. It’s where my daughter attends school. I have other members of family in that community,” Meyer said. “My mom, for example, lives basically right across the street from that high school.”
Meyer thoroughly considered all of his options and decided that the switch was best.
“So, there are a number of reasons why I am returning there. It is the place that I worked for 12 years prior to coming here, makes a lot of sense,” Meyer said. “The hardest part in my decision making process was battling through the logic of how generally, people don’t leave jobs that they love. That’s what I’m doing.”
The decision was logical, but not easy for Meyer.
“And that’s what’s been hard for me. It was really hard to talk to our staff a couple days ago about that,” Meyer said. “De Soto High School has been such a great experience for me. I brag about our students all the time, everywhere I go.”
DHS became a second home for Meyer over the last year and a half.
“In the moment, I have a level of excitement about the opportunity that’s lying ahead of me,” Meyer said. “At the same time, I am also in a little bit of disbelief that I’m basically one quarter away from wrapping up my tenure here in De Soto and that part makes me sad because I am very happy here.”
Meyer enjoys being able to come to work where the staff and students make him feel comfortable and welcome.
“I have a lot of fun coming to work every day. A lot of people aren’t, I guess, given the luxury I am where you leave a job for the same reasons I am,” Meyer said. “But once in a while, people do leave things in order to try and pursue some things that might even be better down the road.”
Now that the decision has been approved by both school boards, DHS can post the job opening and begin preparing for the transition.
“It’s my intention to do everything that I can between now and the end of the year. Once we hit June especially, to sit down with the next principal and really help him or her understand what we’ve been doing,” Meyer said. “What our requirements have been through the district and what our building goals are.”
Meyer hopes to wrap up the year as efficiently as possible, so that when the new principal begins, all they have to focus on is the year ahead of them.
“That part makes me sad,” Meyer said. “To know that I’m not going to be experiencing that in this school next year and beyond.”
Meyer plans to continue to follow and keep in touch with DHS throughout next year and will always consider De Soto another home to him.
“I feel lucky to have been able to serve as principal here. It’s unfortunate, but that has afforded me the opportunity to do the same thing in another school that I’m looking forward to as well,” Meyer said.