The teacher turnover rate at CedarBridge Academy is not a cause for concern, according to principal Kalmar Richards.

The Devonshire senior school had the highest actual number of staff departures in the last academic year in the public school system.

It lost 19 or just over 16 percent of its 117 staff. Of those, eight did not have their contracts renewed, four left for personal or family reasons, two went back to school, two resigned, one took another job, one had their contract terminated and one retired.

Dellwood and Whitney Institute middle schools both had higher teacher turnover rates.

Mrs. Richards said: "I always look at why staff leave and over the years I have not had concerns about the turnover. What I do, before staff leave, I meet with them. A lot of times staff talk to me before they make a decision."

She said many staff had returned to college, some had gone back to their home countries and others had left to take up positions at a higher level in both the public and private school system.

"They are leaving because there have been opportunities for them," she said.

CedarBridge's staff departures represent 20 percent of the total number of staff (97) who left the Island's public schools in 2004/2005.

Rosemary Tyrrell, Department of Education permanent secretary, said: "While CedarBridge Academy reported the greatest absolute number of staff departures, it does have the largest number of staff.

"Turnover, meaning departures as a percentage of total staff enrolled, came in at 16 percent ? which is not the highest rate by a significant margin."