Morgan Hill School Board trustees voted in closed session during
Monday night
’s regular meeting to rescind the release of district
administrators, but only one of the two middle school principals
and one of the two high school principals were reinstated.
Morgan Hill School Board trustees voted in closed session during Monday night’s regular meeting to rescind the release of district administrators, but only one of the two middle school principals and one of the two high school principals were reinstated.
Britton Middle School Principal Jim McDonald will be retiring at the end of the school year, and Live Oak Principal Nancy Serigstad has accepted a position as principal at Scotts Valley High School.
Undecided is the fate of the three middle school assistant principals, one from Martin Murphy and two at Britton. Assistant Superintendent Denise Tate said Thursday that the reason their release was not rescinded with the others is continuing discussions on the role of middle school assistant principals.
“We have not finished discussions on what the duties of an assistant middle school principal will look like,” Tate said, referring to the return in the fall of the ninth grade to the high schools after nearly 25 years, leaving the middle schools with 7th and 8th grades.
“It has not been determined if they will look the same.” Tate said. “The persons who now hold those positions need to know any changes to those positions to determine if this is still a job they would like to hold.”
The notice of possible release of these positions came just before the district announced there would be no March 15 layoff notices for teachers. Last year, following state law, the district announced it had issued notices to 111.5 tenured teachers, all of which were eventually rescinded, some after more than a month.
By law, if a teacher is to be laid off and not return for the next school year, the teacher must receive a notice by March 15.
Trustees are wrestling with budget cuts to a budget that has already been slashed to the bone, with more than $6 million in cuts in two years. The original deficit amount was $2.8 million; trustees were told during Monday’s meeting that the amount now stands at $1.6 million.
Trustees voted for just under $900,000 in cuts Monday night.
Tate, head of human resources for the district, said Martin Murphy Principal Rhoda Wolfskehl and Sobrato High Principal Rich Knapp have been reinstated.
The disrict is seeking applicants to fill McDonald and Serigstad’s jobs.
“It is true that Jim McDonald announced last Friday his retirement at the end of the school year,” she said. “We have advertised the position statewide as we have the principalship at Live Oak and at Nordstrom. That does not preclude the superintendent making an appointment from within. She could make a recommendation to the board about a possible appointment.”
Nordstrom Elementary Principal Nancy Milo has announced she is leaving the district to become principal at Silver Oak Elementary in San Jose.
Trustees also rescinded the release of eight elementary school principals, one adult education principal, three high school assistant principals, four directors and four psychologists.
The three middle school assistant principals will likely be reinstated soon.
