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Parents and trustees press district on staff turnover as athletic director and administrators depart
Summary
A parent urged the board to address staff attrition and administrative turnover; the board later recorded several retirements and a director of athletics departure in the personnel report.
A Royal Oak parent told the board on May 8 that recent administrative turnover and short tenures for athletic directors and principals raise questions about the district’s climate and long‑term hiring outcomes.
In public comment, Ben Gembus — who identified himself as the parent of students at the middle and high schools — said the district’s athletic director, Mr. Russell, has left after two years and that the district has had four athletic directors in six years. Gembus urged the board to examine staff quality-of-life and retention, and to prioritize long‑term hires during negotiations and leadership transitions. "If they aren't your priority, you're in the wrong place," he said, paraphrasing remarks from a former longtime teacher in his family.
At the meeting’s personnel report, district staff recorded five resignations and four retirements, including longtime teachers and a high-school band teacher with 33 years of service. Director of athletics Daniel Russell accepted a position elsewhere and is listed as a departure in the personnel summary. The board approved the personnel actions as presented.
Why it matters: trustees and the parent framed turnover as a risk to continuity in programs and recruiting. Staff emphasized that many personnel changes are being managed through normal hiring and attrition processes; the board agreed to monitor staffing and to consider the issue during upcoming budget and personnel planning sessions.
