By Jeanie Groh

jeanie.groh@salisburypost.com

Koontz Elementary School Principal Dr. Mary Hemphill resigned on Wednesday, effective immediately.

Hemphill became Koontz’s principal in July 2013.

The Rowan-Salisbury Board of Education went into a brief closed session after its AdvancEd reaccreditation meeting to discuss a personnel matter. The board did not take any votes when it came out of closed session.

“District administrators will work closely with (Assistant Principal) Tim Dryman until an interim is placed,” Executive Director of Human Resources Kristi Rhone said in an email.

Before Hemphill came to Koontz, she was an assistant principal at Statesville High School and a third-grade teacher at Southwest Elementary School.

She received her doctorate in May.

Parent-Teacher Association President Amy Haynie said she was surprised by Hemphill’s departure.

Haynie has a kindergartener at Koontz, and said that Hemphill is the reason they decided pick the school.

“She was the backbone of our school,” she said. “We all pretty much adored her.”

Haynie said Hemphill was a good friend, leader and very supportive of the PTA.

She “worked diligently” to make Koontz a better school, she said.

“She won me over and I think she did some great things for Koontz,” Haynie said.