Three teachers will be retiring in June. FACS teacher Priscilla Reed, history teacher Michael Turpin and counselor  Darci Hillyer.

Reed has been teaching for almost 30 years. Hillyer has been teaching for 24 years.

“I’m deciding to retire now because I’m old and want to live closer to my grandchildren,” Reed said.

“I’m ready to retire now because I’m financially able and want to leave on a high note without being burned out,” Hillyer, 2017 Teacher of the Year, said.

“Time to move on to bigger and better things,” Turpin said.

Both Reed and Hillyer plan to relocate.

“I plan on moving to Oklahoma or southwest Missouri to be closer to my grandchildren and closer to my beloved University of Arkansas,” Reed said. “My big plans after I retire are to travel to NYC, visit friends, hiking with friends and write a book about life at Francis Howell.”

“Once I retire, I plan on moving to Cape Coral and Fort Myers, FL area. I lived in Florida as a kid and I don’t enjoy winters,” Hillyer said. “My big plans are to explore new hobbies. I want to try cooking, pickleball, boating and many more. I want to do all the things I don’t have time to do now. I also plan on having a healthier lifestyle.”

One thing the three retiring teachers will miss most are the students.

“Students make teaching great. Building relationships with them is what teaching is all about,” Turpin said.

Ending a career is an emotional time for people who have been doing it for over 25 years.

“It’s a bittersweet and emotional time,” Hillyer said. “Closing a chapter and moving on will be hard to let go. It’s a lot like what seniors are feeling when they graduate.”

Reed isn’t looking forward to May 23, which is the last day of the school year.

“This is home and I will miss it,” Reed said. “Thinking about the last day of school is tough.”