The Merrill Area Public School Board announced today that its district Superintendent Wally Leipart and Assistant Superintendent Michele Jahnke, have submitted letters of resignation to the Board.

In their letters, Leipart and Jahnke expressed their appreciation to the Merrill Area Public Schools’ Board and staff; as well as, to students and their parents. The Board of Education will take action on accepting the resignations at its May 3, school board meeting.

“The Board of Education would like to thank Mr. Leipart for his service to the Merrill Area Public School and the students it serves,” said Jen Seliger, president of the Merrill Area Public School Board of Education. “During his time with the district, Mr. Leipart has moved forward on a number of important efforts, including successfully advocating for the district, acquiring millions of dollars of district donations, leading the implementation of a 1-to-1 technology plan and personalized learning effort while still balancing the budget, and bringing stakeholders together around shared values for our students and our schools.

“The Board of Education would like to thank Ms. Jahnke for her 32 years of service to the Merrill Area Public Schools and the students it serves,” Seliger added. “Her dedication and service has been instrumental in moving the district forward in a variety of capacities. We wish her the best as she moves on to other opportunities.”

Both administrators were placed on paid leave April 19. No reason was given for the action, or whether the matters were related.

The Board will begin moving forward with the search process in the coming weeks.