Concord students, parents and faculty ask board for transparency after quick principal appointment

Concord High School students told the Brandywine School District Board of Education on May 12 that the district did not follow a transparent hiring process when it announced a new principal for Concord.

"We are very frustrated that the position was filled without a chance for all candidates to apply," Concord student Mikayla Michaelson told the board during public comment, asking the board to explain why Concord did not have the same open search process used at Mount Pleasant High School. "We want to believe that qualifications, experience, and leadership matter more than personal connection, but this decision sends the wrong message to our generation."

The students said a petition they circulated was signed by 952 students, parents and community members asking for a fair process. Another Concord student, Molly Andrews, said the district’s lack of transparency undermines trust and…