And a relief principal was appointed this week to take her place.
Totara School commissioner Cleave Hay confirmed on Tuesday that he had appointed an acting principal to lead the small rural school where the roll has dramatically declined from 72 to 30 in the course of this year.
Sam Winterbourn is the acting principal and has worked with Mr Hay before.
Mr Winterbourn has already been assisting at the school with administration and management since last month, the Oamaru Mail understands.
Parents and caregivers were informed on Monday of the development to appoint an acting principal.
The school has been under statutory management since March.
Mr Hay was appointed as commissioner in June when the board resigned.
Mr Hay confirmed this week the roll has now dropped to 30 officially.
The school is officially funded for 72 pupils in 2024.
Late last month he confirmed the roll was 35.
The Mail understands at least nine of the current officially counted pupils are no longer actively present at the school.
Mr Winterbourn acted as principal at Te Pakihi o Maru, then known as Oamaru North School, from 2019 to 2020.
At the time that school was under statutory management and Mr Hay was the limited statutory manager.
Mr Hay acknowledged the efforts and experience of the Totara teaching staff who had "stepped up" in the absence of permanent principal Sandra Spekreijse.
"Sam is a retired but very experienced primary school principal and is looking forward to working with the staff and community," Mr Hay said in a letter to the school community.
He also thanked Totara teacher Scott Rawson and the rest of the school team "for pulling together" in the previous weeks to keep the school "steady for your tamariki".
Meanwhile, Mr Hay is maintaining silence about why Mrs Spekreijse is on leave.
It followed a "playground incident’ late in term three, which remains under investigation.
