Parent urges review after Richfield principal departure; district names interim staffing plan

A parent told the River Board of Education on July 15 that the district must improve transparency and safeguards following the departure of Richfield Elementary’s recently appointed principal and that political considerations should not influence hiring. Superintendent White said the district would appoint interim administrators at Richfield and begin a full search next spring.

The comment came during public comment from Jennifer Henry, who identified herself as a parent of a Richfield student: “I have a son at Richfield Elementary, and I'm here tonight because I'm really concerned and disappointed regarding several developments in our district.” Henry said the principal was a “highly respected and valued” educator whose leaving suggested the district had not ensured her safety or given adequate administrative support. “The board owes it to our community to ensure that every hiring decision is made with integrity and free from political influence,” she said.

The parent also questioned a personnel decision to move a district employee to the role of assistant principal at the middle school, saying community concern remained about that individual’s conduct and whether the matter had been adequately addressed. Henry specifically asked the board to review “policy 1.05,” “conflict of interest policy 1.07,” and “board-staff communications policy 1.14” to clarify boundaries and protect staff from undue pressure when board members visit schools.

Superintendent White acknowledged confidentiality limits on some personnel matters and said the district could not discuss details of agreements but described the operational plan. “We will not be able to talk about the agreement,” White said during the personnel portion of his report, noting that the district would seek an interim principal and an interim assistant principal for Richfield, likely retired administrators, and would begin an external search early next spring for permanent placements. He also said that Mr. Petchey (assistant principal at another building) expressed interest in moving to the middle school and that administrators believed the pairing would be a strong fit.

Board members took the personnel items as part of a consent motion later in the meeting; the consent agenda that included personnel recommendations was approved by roll call. No additional public details about the principal’s departure were provided at the meeting, and White repeated that confidentiality rules constrained what the district could disclose publicly.

Discussion vs. decisions: Jennifer Henry’s remarks were delivered during the public-comment period and therefore represented public concern rather than board findings. The board approved the bundled personnel recommendations (consent agenda) that included the staffing changes the superintendent outlined; the superintendent said the district will pursue interim hires and a full search in spring, which is a staff direction rather than a policy change.

The board did not take additional policy action at the meeting to change hiring rules or to clarify board members’ school visitation practices; the parent’s request to formally review policies 1.05, 1.07 and 1.14 was recorded as a public request but was not moved as a formal agenda item during this session.

Looking ahead, White said the district will begin the search for full-time Richfield administrators early next spring; he did not provide a timeline for any policy reviews or for public reporting beyond the confidentiality limits he cited.