Kaneland middle school principal tells parents he’s resigning, effective the end of this school year

Kaneland Harter Middle School Principal Nathan Schmitt will step down from his role at the end of this academic year, according to an email he sent to parents Thursday night.

Schmitt announced he was leaving in a 6:30 p.m. Thursday email to Harter families, obtained by the Kane County Chronicle. In the email, he mentioned the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and stated that “after much deliberation and discussion with my family, I feel that the best thing for myself and also Harter Middle School is for a new principal to be given the opportunity to lead this incredible school.”

“The past two years I have been incredibly proud of everything we have accomplished as both a school and a district in the face of the COVID pandemic, but it has also been challenging in so many ways.”

Kaneland Associate Superintendent Julie-Ann Fuchs confirmed in an email that Schmitt did submit his resignation, effective at the end of the school year.

Harter Middle School was the subject of recent controversy after a woman accused the school at a board meeting of attempting to send her granddaughter home from school in an Uber vehicle.

The district said previously that the Uber driver did not enter the school and the pupil was not allowed into the vehicle.

Kaneland District 302 Superintendent Todd Leden also said a Harter parent, and not staff, called the Uber. The district did not identify the parent who called, and it wasn’t clear if it was the parent of the child being sent home.

It’s unknown if the incident factored into Schmitt’s resignation. Schmitt did not immediately respond to a voicemail message seeking comment.