Southeast Fountain board accepts principal Phil Shavey’s resignation; staff and community voice concern

The Southeast Fountain School Corporation Board on May 14 accepted the resignation of Phil Shavey, who will leave at the end of the 2025–26 school year. Trustees offered extended praise for Shavey’s work as a teacher, coach, counselor, assistant principal and most recently principal, and recognized initiatives he helped start.

A board member (speaker 2) summarized Shavey’s roles and contributions, saying his “mentorship, professionalism, and leadership will truly be missed” and noting Shavey’s emphasis on building school culture and student engagement.

During the public‑comment period, community members and staff urged the board to treat the departure as a signal to protect leadership quality. Jesse Frazee (speaker 6) said Shavey “devoted his time and efforts to our students” and warned, “we can’t keep an administrator or a staff quality of mister Shavey” unless the district examines its processes. Ashley Brown (speaker 8), an employee at Mountain Central Jr.-Sr. High School, said she was “devastated to hear of his resignation” and called Shavey “the most well rounded, positive, and supportive leader I’ve ever had,” urging leaders to reflect on recent decisions to avoid losing more administrators and teachers.

Board members and administrators responded with public thanks. The board’s formal action accepting Shavey’s resignation was presented as a recommended consent‑agenda item and approved by voice vote; no additional personnel timeline or search details were stated at the meeting.

Next steps noted at the meeting: the resignation’s effective date is the end of the contracted 2025–26 school year; the board did not state a timeline for a replacement search during remarks recorded in the transcript.

Reported quotes and attributions in this article come from public comment and board remarks captured in the meeting transcript.