Balmoral Hall head quits after less than six months

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This article was published 03/03/2010 (5921 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

BALMORAL Hall School’s first-year head of school suddenly quit last Thursday and went home to British Columbia — the second time in 18 months that a head of the private girls’ school has left without public explanation.

“It certainly was a surprise,” Balmoral Hall director of advancement Tina Alto said Tuesday.

Linda Schwartz, a one-time teacher at Balmoral Hall, took over the top job at the well-regarded school last August after a national search. Schwartz came from B.C.’s Kwantlen Polytechnic University, where she was dean of humanities.

Alto said that Schwartz gave no explanation for quitting. Alto said Balmoral Hall’s board of directors had not requested her resignation and had not negotiated her leaving. There was no indication of health problems.

“Last Thursday, Dr. Schwartz submitted her letter of resignation to the board, and the board accepted it,” Alto said.

Alto said Schwartz has returned to British Columbia, and has not yet provided the school with a forwarding address. Schwartz’s husband and daughter had remained in B.C. when she took the job in Winnipeg, and Schwartz was flying back and forth regularly, Alto said.

Balmoral Hall has named Joanne Kamins as acting head of school.

Former head of school Claire Sumerlus suddenly resigned in late August of 2008 after nine years as head of school. She declined to be interviewed at the time, and the school gave no reason for her leaving.

nick.martin@freepress.mb.ca