Principal Jacqueline McEvoy sent the following resignation e-mail to the Paly community yesterday, Jan. 22.

Dear Paly Community,

As we begin the new semester, I want to thank you all for the powerful work you are doing, and that we have done together during my time here at Paly. It’s been a great opportunity and a real honor for me to work with this thoughtful and committed community.

Over the last three years, I have been most impressed with the range and depth of our talented faculty, parents, and students. As our WASC evaluators noted, Palo Alto High School has constantly pushed for excellence, whether that means aligning our program offerings, supporting every student, ensuring equity, or taking on whatever else must be done to help our students thrive. We can all be proud of this work. I know I am.

It is, therefore, with a bittersweet heart that I share my future plans with you: I will be leaving at the end of this semester, with my resignation effective June 30th. I am aware that administrators often make these announcements later in the year, but out of respect for Paly’s cohesive and caring community, I want you to know now. I look forward to a productive final semester together, with ample time for you to select a great new principal for coming years.

With gratitude,

Dr. Jacqueline McEvoy