Eden Prairie's embattled school superintendent is stepping down from her post much sooner than expected at the urging of the school board, which will pay her $100,000 to leave with nine months left on her contract.

Melissa Krull championed a controversial plan to change attendance boundaries to improve school integration, one that was closely watched by districts throughout the metro area. She said she will end her nine-year tenure at the end of this month.

"It's in the best interest of all the parties," Krull said.

Such early departures of school leaders are unusual but not unprecedented, a statewide school group leader said.

Krull became the main lightning rod for criticism from parents who oppose the boundary changes, which were implemented this school year. She also was criticized by the school board in a June evaluation for what it said was insufficient communication and collaboration.

She announced in July that she would leave when her current three-year term expired next June. The school board, which approved the boundary plan on a split vote, asked her last month to consider an earlier departure.

Her Sept. 30 exit will come just more than a month before three board members face contested races for re-election.

School board chairwoman Carol Bomben said the decision was a mutual agreement between the two sides and "the board wishes her well."

Krull, 51, has worked in the Eden Prairie schools for 28 years. She acknowledged the grind of pushing the divisive plan, which redrew school boundary lines largely so low-income students weren't concentrated at one elementary school in the 9,700-student suburban district.

"Certainly it takes its toll on people, not just me -- the resistance to change," she said. "I really understand and am very aware of how difficult making important changes can be."

Many parents declared that the plan meant the end to neighborhood schools because their children would move to schools farther away to balance demographics. Others said they lost trust in the district after a lack of communication and input in the process.

"There are a number of things I admire about her," parent Mike Camilli said of Krull. But "I think it could have been handled differently. I think it would have been very challenging for her [to continue in the district this year]."

While he said he was supportive of changes to close the academic achievement gap between white and minority students, he said the process was rushed and lacked parent input. Had Krull and other administrators led the process differently, more parents would have been on board, he said.

"It's a sad day for Eden Prairie schools," he said. "I didn't think it had to come to this."

Even after protests and petitions from parents against her, Krull stood by the plan, saying it better served an increasingly diverse district.

"She's an educational leader of high integrity," said Gary Amoroso, executive director of the Minnesota Association of School Administrators. "She was an advocate on behalf of all children."

It's uncommon for superintendents to end a contract early, he said, but it's not rare.

In New York, National Urban Alliance for Effective Education President Eric Cooper said he was frustrated that the school board asked Krull to consider leaving early. He's worked with the district the past six years to provide staff training and called Krull an empathetic superintendent who "leads with her heart."

"I am concerned that with her departure, the values she holds dear and some of the initiatives she's been part of will wane," he said.

Among state reading scores released Wednesday, the gap in passing rates for black students in Eden Prairie compared with white students closed by nearly half the rate; the gap in passing rates between white and American Indian students widened, but dropped for Asian and Hispanic students versus white students.

"There is really a lot of good that's come from our struggles," Krull said.

In July, when she announced her plans to leave the district, she said her decision was not prompted by vocal opposition. She said the district was well-positioned for a new leader.

She said Wednesday that she would've finished her contract had the board not asked if she would end it early. The two sides announced Tuesday night that they reached an agreement, signed Friday, that pays Krull $50,000 on or before Oct. 3 and an additional $50,000 on Jan. 13.

Her base salary this year is $185,658.

Bomben said the school board, which took initial steps to begin a search for Krull's replacement last month, will select an interim superintendent before Oct. 1. By the end of November, a committee will pick a search consultant company to hire to search for a permanent leader, she said.

Krull she said she'll remain in Minnesota and likely stay in education "one way or another."

"I continue to have such a strong commitment to the integration work we've done," she said. "The time has come to really embrace these changes. It shouldn't be this difficult."

Kelly Smith • 612-673-4141