HAMMOND | The vaunted educator hired to become the first principal of the Hammond Academy for Science and Technology resigned Monday but will remain on board until a replacement is hired.

Academy spokesman Tom Dabertin said "it has nothing to do with the school."

Scott Fech, the former principal of Bishop Noll Institute, accepted the job as the academy's principal in November. His resignation comes months before the downtown charter school's scheduled fall opening.

Fech, who could not be reached for comment, reportedly resigned for personal reasons. He had signed a three-year contract that would have paid him $110,000 per year.

In November, Dabertin -- an academy board member and a Hammond city consultant -- called Fech "one of the brightest, most capable school administrators in the entire Chicago-Northwest Indiana area." On Monday, he said the academy wishes Fech only the best.

He said the board will go back to its list of finalists to determine who might still be interested in the job.

"I'm confident we'll have a replacement for Scott in short order," Dabertin said. "Things changed for him personally and he felt he was unable to make the commitment for us. He has taken on new responsibilities with his current employer. It's disappointing but understandable."

Fech is assistant superintendent for personnel services at Grayslake Community High School District 127 in Grayslake, Ill. According to the Daily Herald, Fech was named interim principal at Grayslake North High School in December after the newspaper reported sexual harassment allegations against Fech's predecessor.

Meanwhile, Dabertin said everything else is moving along smoothly with the Hammond charter school. He said he expects the school's bond issue to close in early March. Bids will be sought Feb. 26.

The Indiana Department of Education also awarded the academy $214,200 through its Public Charter School Program grant, which awards startup funds to new charter schools.

Construction of the new $15 million downtown campus at Muenich Court and Ann Avenue is scheduled to start shortly, however the building won't be finished by the time school opens this fall.

Dabertin said school officials have finalized negotiations with the Diocese of Gary to use the old St. Catherine of Siena school building at 6605 Kentucky Ave. in Hammond for the charter school.

The academy board has a lease that will allow it to use the building for as long as necessary, although school officials hope to be in the new downtown building in early 2011, Dabertin said.

Larry Gabbert, executive director of Ball State University's charter school accreditation program, said Monday his office has been informed of the changes at the Hammond charter school.

"They will need to submit a formal amendment to us naming the site they intend to use and giving us a copy of the lease agreement and the new budget," Gabbert said. "It sounds like they are moving ahead. They also are working to tweak their bylaws. They're on target to open in the fall."

The Hammond Academy for Science and Technology, which will focus on teaching state standards through project-based learning, will open with 320 students in grades six through nine. It will grow each year until attaining 550 students in grades six through 12.

It held a lottery for sixth-grade slots, and has a waiting list of about 70 sixth-graders, Dabertin said. There are about 15 to 20 students also on a waiting list for grades seven through nine.

Staff writer Christine Kraly contributed to this report.