Scitech principal's certification and demotion raised during public comment; speaker urges reinstatement

During the public comment segment of the March 25 Harrisburg City School District meeting, a Scitech campus student read a statement defending the school’s principal and disputing the district’s public explanation for the principal’s demotion. The student, Desiah Kellum, said the district’s account that the principal knowingly allowed certifications to lapse was inaccurate and explained that administrators statewide were given an eight‑year window to complete certification requirements because of the COVID‑19 pandemic. Kellum also said the principal had provided medical documentation to the district showing treatment for breast cancer and asked the board to “find a way to bring her back as the Scitech principal.”

Earlier in the public comment period, Melanie Cook, a Harrisburg resident, praised district recognition of student accomplishments and said she supported funding and visibility for programs such as robotics and girls’ wrestling. Cook also raised a concern about a proposed bullying policy form and recommended that the district avoid labeling students as “victim” and “aggressor” in preliminary documentation: “When you develop a policy, it has to be 1 that does not classify children,” she told the board.

Board policy 903 (public participation) governs the comment period; no formal board action or personnel decision was made as a result of the comments that evening. The public comment period concluded and the meeting proceeded to scheduled agenda items.