Glacier High School Principal Joel Auers is resigning at the end of the school year to be with his wife in Great Falls, who is expecting their first child in November.

Auers, who wraps his first year as Glacier principal on June 30, initially joined Kalispell Public Schools from an administrative intern position in Great Falls Public Schools.

“With all the success and challenges that we have been through this year as a school and district, one of the biggest personal challenges has been the weekly commuting back and forth from Great Falls for my wife and I,” Auers wrote in a letter sent out to staff and families announcing his resignation on Tuesday. “My wife, who has been on contract with her current job and career until this Fall, will also be having our first child in November in Great Falls. We had hoped that she would be able [to] find a suitable position here in Kalispell, but that has had its challenges due to the significant increase of population and limited individuals in Kalispell leaving her career field. Although we were up for the challenge of waiting it out, having a baby in November in Great Falls has significantly changed our family focus,” he continued.

Despite the challenges of stepping into the principal position at an unprecedented time during the COVID-19 pandemic, he said there were successes during a phone call Wednesday.

“We made it through without going remote for one day,” Auers said. “We were able to support our military personnel by becoming a Purple Star School. Prom is this weekend. We’re going to move graduation back on site this year.”

The principal position will be posted through April 21. Interviews will be conducted April 30 with a recommendation going before the board on May 11. Auers said he will provide any assistance needed for a smooth transition between administrators.

“I don't have any job position yet in Great Falls, but will be looking for opportunities that open up,” he said.

Auers noted at the start of his letter that it was a privilege to have served as the Glacier principal.

“I am truly thankful for the opportunities and learning experiences that I have gained through this year, With this opportunity I was able to learn from many different types of leadership, teaching, and learning styles and although there are many, one thing that I learned was there are a great variety of good people working and serving in Kalispell Public Schools. I also owe a great amount of gratitude to all the Pack students, teachers, staff, parents, and my administrative team who supported me throughout this year,” he said.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at [email protected].