Shelly Martinez, a longtime Summit School District educator, will serve as interim principal at Summit Cove Elementary for the 2026-27 school year as the district determines its more permanent leadership plan. 

After months of uncertainty over who would lead the school into a new year, Summit Cove will have a familiar face in the principal’s office. 

The district announced Martinez, who began her career at Summit Cove nearly three decades ago, as interim principal in an email sent to staff and families Aug. 5. The decision comes less than three weeks before elementary students return to classrooms Friday, Aug. 21.

Former principal Julie Johnson resigned from Summit Cove Elementary in late May, roughly two weeks before the end of the school year. Johnson nor district officials disclosed a reason for her departure. Ross Morgan, an assistant principal at Summit Middle School, served as interim principal through the end of the year as the district began searching for a replacement. 

In late June, the district selected Ronnie Marshall, a middle school principal from North Carolina, after an interview process involving staff, families and residents. The district introduced Marshall as the school’s next principal July 1.

But less than three weeks later, the district announced Marshall could no longer take the position due to a “change in personal circumstances.”

Martinez planned to retire after the 2025-26 school year. But after her autumn travel plans fell through, Superintendent Tony Byrd reached out with an unexpected opportunity.

“I was retired this summer in my mind,” Martinez said. “And then I heard from the superintendent when I was at a family reunion about this opportunity.”

Martinez said the moment felt serendipitous.

“Summit Cove was one of the schools I started at in the district, and I know they have a really strong staff,” she said. “I just felt like maybe this was meant to be, so I said, ‘Let’s do it.'”

Martinez began working for Summit School District in 1999 as a part-time Spanish teacher splitting time between Summit Cove and Dillon Valley elementary schools. She later moved full time to Dillon Valley as an English language development teacher. Though Martinez isn’t a native Spanish speaker, she began studying the language in high school and worked at a migrant Head Start program while attending the University of Iowa. After working briefly in North Carolina, she became a counselor at Aurora Public Schools before moving to Summit County with her husband in the late 1990s.

Over the years, Martinez has taught Spanish, English language arts and STEM, working extensively with multilingual learners. She also helped launch the “Creativity Cave” at Dillon Valley, which transformed into a more extensive STEM and robotics program. 

Martinez spent about three years as co-principal at Dillon Valley Elementary in the late 2000s and has served as the district’s summer school principal.

Martinez said her immediate priority is to give Summit Cove staff a sense of stability after an unusual summer. 

“I really hope to be a stable force for the staff, to be able to support them so they can do the best job for our kiddos,” she said. “I know Summit Cove is a great community, so (I’m) really wanting them to have a great year with consistency and support to let teachers do what they do best.”

All elementary students in the district will return Thursday, Aug. 20 for a “Family Connections” day, giving parents and guardians an opportunity to meet teachers and tour classrooms.