Parents and staff press Liberty board over principal nonrenewals and superintendent conduct
Loading...
Summary
Dozens of public commenters urged the Liberty board to keep several principals and staff, called for Superintendent Dr. Monroe's resignation, and raised allegations about board member conduct. Speakers presented a petition and described concern that principals Millian Z. Morris (Estrella? text uses variants) and others face nonrenewal.
Public comment at the Liberty Elementary School District board meeting on Jan. 13 drew a large turnout and extended testimony from parents, staff and community members pressing the board on personnel decisions and district leadership.
Peter Smith, who identified himself as a district resident, told the board that a petition with more than 800 signatures had been circulated and said parents expected Principal Millian Z. Morris at Estrella Mountain Elementary (name as stated by commenters) to receive a contract for the next school year. Smith asked the board to end what he described as efforts by the majority to push out principals and staff and urged the board to seek the resignation or termination of Superintendent Dr. Monroe. “We expect to see this item on the next agenda,” Smith told the board.
Several other residents, teachers and staff backed Estrella Mountain and Rainbow Valley principals and described strong school performance and community support. Amy Svets, who identified herself as the office manager at Estrella Mountain Elementary, told the board that “we all have a responsibility to teach kids more than just the ABCs and 1, 2, 3s” and asked the board to reconsider plans not to renew the principal’s contract. Paul Jensen, a district resident, said Estrella’s principal had “brought back much of what was good” and urged the board to use the district’s KPIs (key performance indicators) consistently.
Several speakers criticized board members and the superintendent for a lack of transparency and for what they called politicized personnel actions. Nancy Gray, who said she resigned a post in another district to work at Liberty, said she had been “completely blindsided” by decisions that prioritize political views over research and students’ needs and said she was resigning because she felt silenced.
Other public speakers urged support for board members who they said had faced harassment at meetings. Elwood “Butch” Kutzler, speaking for a group called We The People, offered statistics the group said demonstrated district improvement and urged the board to continue current leadership. Shelly Cross and other residents said many public comments had focused on teachers rather than students and urged the board to prioritize student outcomes.
(Ending) The public-comment period highlighted deep divisions among community members, with multiple speakers asking the board to act on personnel matters or to provide clearer explanations to the public. The board took no immediate action during public comment; several of the topics raised were considered later in the meeting during consent and personnel discussions.
