Bluffton High Principal Dievendorf to retire at end of 2015-2016 school year

The principal of Bluffton High School will retire this spring after six years on the job and 37 in the field of education.

Mark Dievendorf announced his retirement this month, citing a family loss, his new role as a grandfather and health problems as factors in the decision. He said he looks forward to spending more time with his wife of 36 years, Mary, and “will forever carry Bobcat Pride in my heart.”

“While making the decision to retire was difficult, I am comforted in knowing that our exemplary staff and incredible student body are poised for what the future has in store for all in the Bobcat Nation,” he said March 8 in a message to parents, staff and students.

Before his hire in 2010, Dievendorf was principal of a Michigan high school where he’d also served as a band, orchestra and choir director. He also played trombone and sang in a 10-piece R&B band based in Grand Rapids, Mich.

While Dievendorf oversaw a drop in ACT scores at Bluffton High in 2014, the school recovered this past year, and also saw gains on SAT scores and was awarded its third Palmetto Gold Award in a row from the state.

And while graduation rates declined in 2015, the Bluffton area has also experienced the fastest population growth in the county, crowding Bluffton High ahead of the opening of May River High School next fall.

“Upon this student-centered foundation, the deliberate and sustainable improvement of academic achievement and the resulting accomplishments became a reality thanks to the incredible hard work, dedication, and collaborative effort of many,” Dievendorf said.

The Beaufort County School District has not announced his replacement for the 2016-2017 school year.

This story was originally published March 29, 2016 at 10:35 AM with the headline "Bluffton High Principal Dievendorf to retire at end of 2015-2016 school year."