In January this year, the school's board of trustees appointed former Mount Aspiring College principal Mike Allison as an independent adviser to investigate the school's staffing problems.
He was engaged to look at ways to improve the school by making its operations more effective and study how to retain the confidence of parents.
Part of the mandate for the investigation was to look at the reasons why four teachers had resigned from the school in 2007, and why the school was finding it difficult to retain staff in its 3.6 teaching positions.
A former teacher at St Marys (Kaikorai) School said he was one of four teachers who had resigned from the school in 2007.
He said he left his post due to differences of opinion and personality with the principal, Carmel Chamberlain.
He declined to be named, but said he was an experienced teacher who had been in the profession several years.
Board of Trustees chair woman Marie Baker said Ms Chamberlain did not give reasons for her departure in the resignation letter and nobody at the school knew where she was going.
Ms Chamberlain could not be contacted for comment. She had been principal at the school for three years.
Mrs Baker declined to com ment on how she felt about the resignation, but the un-named former teacher said he was pleased she had moved on: ‘‘I believe that the school now has a roll of around 33, and prior to Ms Chamberlain's announce ment, it was tipped to drop further.
‘‘The staff and board of trus tees have had a very difficult and uncertain year. Now they have the opportunity to rebuild the school's position, and regen erate its roll. I am confident with sound leadership, this can and should be done.''
Catholic Education Office director Tony Hanning said the principal's position would be advertised later this year and teacher Jacqui Hammer would be acting principal until then.
