After a rocky past year, Troy High School Principal Jeff Ralston turned in his letter of resignation last week, effective at the end of the school year.

“It has been nothing but an incredible honor and privilege to serve this community as the high school principal for the past three years,” Ralston said through a prepared statement, “but I have failed to improve student learning, which is my job, and it’s time to give someone else a try.”

Last March the school board went into executive session to hear from school staff who asked that the board at least suspend making a decision on renewing Ralston’s contract for another year.

Board Chair Sylvia Maffit and Superintendent Brady Selle expressed that they believed that any problems the group had with the principal could be worked out. Then the board voted to extend Ralston’s contract.

Selle said he is sorry to see Ralston go.

“It’s just too bad,” Selle said. “Jeff’s only been with us for three years and he’s accomplished some good things.”

The school board officially accepted Ralston’s letter of resignation on Monday and will form a search committee made up of trustees and staff members to screen and interview applicants, Selle said.

“We have plenty of time to do a full search,” Selle said. “We’d like to have someone selected before school is out to make sure they have time to get settled in.”

Ralston said he will look for another principal position in Montana or in Washington, where he is originally from. Before taking the position in Troy, Ralston served as principal at a rural Native American school in Alaska.

“I have worked in several public schools in my 15 years as an educator, and I have never enjoyed a group of kids as much as I have these,” Ralston said. “This community must be doing something right to have kids like these that are so much fun to be around.”