COLUMBIA — Columbia's two main public high schools have a change in leadership coming.
Mike Jeffers, principal of Hickman High School, and Kathy Ritter, principal of Rock Bridge High School, are leaving at the end of the school year, said Mary Laffey, assistant superintendent of human resources.
Jeffers will take a position as director of North Kansas City secondary schools, Laffey confirmed.
Ritter, meanwhile, is retiring.
"This is a big loss for us, losing both principals," Laffey said. "But we certainly understand. This is a great opportunity for Jeffers."
Laffey said the school district will advertise the jobs, seek applications and hold interviews to find new principals for the 2010-2011 school year.
"My hope is that we're done in a few weeks," Laffey said. "We will try to move expeditiously and complete the process before spring break."
Jeffers has been principal of Hickman since fall 2005. The high school has an enrollment of 2,001 for the 2009-2010 school year.
Ritter has been principal of Rock Bridge since fall 2007 and was an assistant principal there for about 15 years before that. Rock Bridge has an enrollment of 1,839 for the 2009-2010 school year. Students will hold a forum Thursday to talk about what they want in a new principal.