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Parents and staff raise transparency, principal reassignments and staff‑speech concerns at board meeting
Summary
Multiple parents and staff urged the board to explain involuntary principal and teacher placements, provide data on Title I and school‑level allocations, and address a perceived culture of fear tied to staff expression policy after recent leadership shifts and program changes.
Several community members used the public comment period at Tuesday’s Peninsula School District board meeting to press for more information and to express concern about involuntary principal placements, staff expression policies and communication practices.
Multiple speakers — including parents and PTA leaders from Mineral Creek/Winter Creek area schools — said the district’s recent principal rotations and involuntary placements were unexpected and have weakened trust between families and district leadership. Jessica Gamble and Heather Bruin read a prepared letter asking for detailed explanations about the district’s “long‑term strategic plan” that purportedly drove reassignments, the data used to justify the moves, and criteria for evaluating whether the principal rotation strategy succeeds or will be reversed.
“Our journey began with a single serious concern: the unexpected rotation of our school principals and the far‑reaching impact this decision could have on our schools,” Gamble read. The letter, the speakers said, will be delivered to the superintendent and board and was supported by signatures from more than 500 petitioners.
Parents asked for transparency on staffing and budget decisions, including whether administrative pay increases have accompanied cuts to school‑level positions, and how the district will maintain access to electives, AP courses and enriched programs if cuts continue. Pamela Locke (KPMS PTSA) requested a school‑by‑school accounting of Title I allocations and asked why some nearby schools have more specialist staffing than others.
Several public speakers also urged the board to review staff expression policy impacts. Taylor Marshall and Josh Johnson argued the board had moved public comment to late in the agenda and that the board’s handling of meetings and policy language made it harder for parents to be heard. Several commenters raised specific concerns about the district’s handling of alleged harassment incidents and whether Hib (harassment, intimidation and bullying) investigations followed policy.
Superintendent Gretchen Barr and board members acknowledged the concerns and said the board had instructed administration to provide a comprehensive presentation on enrollment, staffing and program funding. Barr also said staffing and program decisions follow collective bargaining timelines and protocols and that staff voice is important; she invited union and staff partners into procedures work.
Ending: The board committed to follow‑up communications and data sharing; community members said they will continue to press for more transparency and will deliver their petition and letter to district leaders.
