Forest Park Junior/Senior High School Principal to Step Down After School Year

By Kris Norton

Ferdinand – Forest Park Junior/Senior High School Principal Tyler Lemen has announced that he will step down from the position at the conclusion of the school year.

“It’s been a wonderful time here at Forest Park,” Lemen said. “Three years ago I probably would have said that I would be here a very, very long time, but you never know what life is going to bring.”

The choice, Lemen says, was a family decision.

“This past January I married my wife Jordan, and after much discussion we have decided to move to Birmingham, Alabama,” Lemen said. “Her family is there, her company is there – the company she’s worked for, for over 13 years.”

Thinking over his tenure, Lemen says that the relationships with staff and students is something that he will remember the most during his time at Forest Park Junior/Senior High School.

“I’m a huge person when it comes to relationships and I have truly enjoyed the opportunity to get to know so many of our community members outside of the school as well as our parents,” Lemen said. “But most importantly, our school and our staff, they have become my family.”

“To have to share this news was extremely difficult,” Lemen added.

In the wake of the announcement, beginning the next day students spoke with Lemen, reminiscing over memories from the past few years.

“The next day, I guess I didn’t understand the impact that it would have on the students, and it really got to me as they would come up to me and speak of our time here together,” Lemen said. “It truly shows that we’ve had a good experience together here at Forest Park.”

In a message to students, faculty, parents, and the community, Lemen shared the following sentiments:

“Thank you for a great three years, but continue the awesome success that we have here at Southeast Dubois and at Forest Park. This is truly a tremendous school that is very special. It’s not about the person that’s in the principal position. It’s truly about the students, and the faculty and staff that are in the building on a daily basis that make this place special, and make it such a success.”

Lemen was hired as the Forest Park Junior/Senior High School Principal in May of 2019. Previously, he had served as Principal at Ferdinand Elementary.

The Southeast Dubois School Corporation has begun accepting applications to find a new principal.