One of the Cortez School District’s long-time educators is saying good-bye to the district in which she began her career.

Cindy Smart, principal of Beech Street Kindergarten, Pleasant View Elementary and Lewis-Arriola Elementary, has accepted a principalship at Fort Lewis Mesa Elementary in the Durango School District. She began teaching in Re-1 20 years ago

The job offer came one week ago and her letter of resignation to the Re-1 school board was accepted Tuesday night at the board meeting.

"I’m just sick about us losing her because she’s so amazing," said Lewis-Arriola counselor Karen Finch. "She’s a professional at getting kids to tell the truth; she’s got a great sense of humor; she does all kinds of staff development; she’s so experienced — I can’t even say enough about her,"

Smart told the Journal she decided to make the move to expand her career experiences but that she would miss Cortez and valued her time here.

" I’ve been here for 20 years and I’m going to miss so much of that, but I need some other experiences and that’s kind of what motivated me. Every bit of it I’m going to miss, but at the same time I feel very good about the move I’m making."

"It’s nice to get to know a different district and see how they do things. I’m real excited about that — it’s an opportunity for growth."

Fort Lewis Mesa Elementary is a rural school of about 195 students south of Hesperus.

"You drive by there and you see the sign, and it tells you all the community things that are going to go on in the evening — and that’s what captured my heart. I thought, when that opening showed up, ‘That may be a place where I need to be’."

Smart will finish out her contract with Re-1 in June and begin her work in the Durango School District in mid-August.

Re-1 Superintendent Bill Thompson said Smart was instrumental in many positive changes in local education including individualized learning programs to boost literacy and language skills at an early age.

Just last year one of her schools, Lewis-Arriola, received the prestigious John J. Irwin Schools of Excellence Most Distinguished Improvement Award.

"She’s done an awful lot for this district in curriculum and assessment," Thompson said. "She’s done a lot for the school district and the parents and kids of this community, so we’ll miss her."

Smart was modest about her accomplishments while in Re-1.

"I can’t ever say that it was me because we have such a great team with central administration and principals. It was a team effort in everything that we’ve done," she said.

Smart said she and her husband, Bruce, will continue to reside in Cortez, although she may be looking for a second residence closer to her new place of work.

"I’m going to miss the fact that I can pick up the phone and say to my superintendent, ‘Could you meet me for breakfast? I’ve got an idea.’ And I don’t know that can’t happen in Durango, but I think I’m going to miss that part of it. I’ve just learned so much from our leadership at the central administration office."

Durango will likely not be the end of the road for Smart’s career endeavors.

"Someday I’d like to get my doctorate in curriculum. Someday I might look at the Department of Defense schools. We’ll just see how things pan out.