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Longtime Sunol Glen School Principal and district Superintendent Molleen Barnes announced Wednesday that she will be retiring at the end of the school year.
Barnes broke the unexpected news in a letter to the Inform Sunol community newsletter where she expressed how honored she felt being able to serve the community and the students.
“It has been such a blessing to work at Sunol Glen these past sixteen years and to be an integral part of so many of our students and families’ lives,” Barnes said in her statement. “As many of you know, I often refer to myself as the ‘grandma’ to our children here at school; and as such, I care about each and every one very deeply.”
She also took the time to let her staff know how much of a privilege it has been working with them and how much she appreciated how committed they were to the students.
In Barnes’ reflections, she acknowledged parents who made trips anywhere from 15 minutes to 90 minutes in order to get to school and the close knit and inclusive culture at Sunol Glen. She also commended the community for getting through so many turbulent times throughout her tenure.
“We have gone through so much over the years: school shut-downs due to power outages, smoke days and the world-wide Covid pandemic, implementing Distance Learning, a 100-year flood, a new bond for our facilities and the stormy clouds of political challenges that could curdle your toes,” Barnes said. “However, our staff, our families and our students persevere showing resilience, commitment and strength.”
The news of Barnes resigning in a few months comes on the heels of a recall effort for two of the Sunol school board members and heightened political tension between the two groups of community members who either support the recall or are against it.
