“After reflecting and thinking incessantly and talking with my family and friends, I have made the decision to retire at the end of this school year,” read Principal Scott Hoffman’s message to members of the Bromfield community at 8 P.M. on Tuesday, October 19. Since then, Hoffman, along with the rest of Bromfield, has been preparing for his departure from the school after 36 years. Although the process of finding a replacement principal and planning for the subsequent transition has largely been handled, many individuals are still dealing with the emotional side of this major adjustment, including Hoffman himself.

He reflected on his retirement: “As I look at myself, my family, and everything else, it seemed like the right time.” He mentioned factors like the end of his contract, the longevity of his position, and the stress of his job as the factors leading up to the decision. In addition, Hoffman expressed the potential for a new face of the school: “In one way or another, my voice has been a key voice at Bromfield for the last 17 years, and I wondered whether it was time for a different voice.

Hoffman reflects proudly on the school culture that he has helped develop at Bromfield, especially his focus on improving the social-emotional well-being of students. He mentioned policies like homework-free vacations, trusted adult surveys, and refresh days as the most significant changes towards this goal. “If we take care of our kids’ mental wellbeing, those scores will still follow; they will still get into their preferred colleges,” he said. As he reminisced on his time at Bromfield, Hoffman said he will miss “The relationships that I’ve been able to forge with students, teachers, parents and the community.” Long-time teacher and Dean of Students Dr. Julie Horton said that her bond with Hoffman has shifted multiple times during her time at Bromfield. She said their relationship “Went from him being a boss to a mentor to a friend.”

Among her favorite memories with Hoffman, many were on the Washington D.C. trip.  “I’ve already told him that I’m dragging him out of retirement when we finally get to go again,” she said while laughing. In addition, she said she will miss his loud, friendly demeanor in the building. She joked, “When I want to find him, I usually just stand quietly, and see if I can hear him,” and added that he is always eager to drop what he is working on to help her.

Horton also recounted his influence on her leadership style, citing the way in which he handled the passing of Jessie Peterson when Horton was a ninth-grade teacher. She vividly remembers that he repeatedly comforted community members by saying, “There’s not a manual for this.” From that point on, Horon knew that she wanted to have a leadership role at Bromfield. As a parting remark for Hoffman, she said, “I don’t know that he knows how much he’s shaped how I think about my role in education and what I want to do in the building.” 

Mr. Christopher Jones, a long-time ninth-grade English teacher said, “I consider Mr. Hoffman to be one of my best friends.” Jones noted, “He’s a tremendous collaborator, and someone you can always lean on.” Hoffman listed Jones as one of the teachers he is closest with. Together, the two coached Bromfield’s girls’ varsity tennis team for 10 years. Jones concludes,  “He has earned his retirement and deserves to enjoy all the good moments that are coming his way.”

In the future, Hoffman plans to continue his commitment to the field of education. While he has already signed up to be a mentor principal— hoping to be someone for Ms. Murphy to “bounce ideas off of,” Hoffman also wants to give the new principal space to establish her own relationship with the community by decreasing his presence in the school. He also expressed interest in working at a college where he helps develop aspiring teachers. Aside from being an educator, he plans to commit time to his family, his personal life, and his dog. “You can be sure that Nike will be getting her fair share of walks,” he remarks.