#Principal of elite Bronx Science retiring at end of August

Another top city specialized high school is losing its leader.

The principal of Bronx Science High School, Jean Donohue, announced her retirement in a letter to parents and staff Tuesday just weeks before the new academic year.

“I will be retiring at the end of August,” Donohue wrote. “It has been my great pleasure and privilege to be principal at Bronx Science for the last seven years, and to have been an assistant principal and teacher here for many years before that.”

The departure comes roughly a month after Eric Contreras, the longtime principal of another top city institution, Stuyvesant High School, left for North Shore High School in Glen Head, Long Island.

Along with Brooklyn Technical High School, Stuyvesant and Bronx Science are considered the crown jewels of the city Department of Education system.

Specialized high schools have been in the throes of controversy in recent years over their single-test admissions system.

Critics have objected to the approach, arguing that the exam is a narrow measure of student talent and has resulted in low African-American and Latino enrollment.

Backers counter that the test is an inherently objective metric and has helped cultivate some of the most prestigious public schools in the nation.

Founded in 1938, Bronx Science has produced eight Nobel Prize winners and six Pulitzer Prize recipients.

“I will always treasure the many friendships I have made here, and Bronx Science will always have a special place in my heart,” Donohue said. “I will continue to work on planning for the most unusual upcoming year, and will share any updates with you as we go along.”