Heading into the final three months of the school year, City Schools Decatur has a rare three openings for principals.
Of nine district-wide schools, including the College Heights Early Childhood Learning Center, which recently promoted Sarah Garland from interim to permanent director, Oakhurst Elementary and Renfroe Middle are without permanent principals. Glennwood Elementary will need a new principal at year’s end when Dianna Herron-Watson retires.
Herron-Watson leaves after seven years at Glennwood and 22 years with CSD. Last June Robin Fountain left Oakhurst and Marcia Bryant-Fowler has been interim principal all year.
The biggest surprise is that Renfroe Principal Johnathan Clark suddenly resigned in December, and Greg Wiseman—longtime principal at Winnona Park Elementary—is interim through year’s end.
“It feels like a moment,” said Daryl Campbell, CSD’s executive director of curriculum and instruction. “We do normally enjoy the stability of our principals. I think it feels unusual because we’re a small district.”
At Oakhurst the position has closed, with openings for the other two jobs recently posted. The process for all three will involve phone interviews with candidates ultimately narrowed down to in-person interviews. Interview committees will include staffers, school parents and school leadership team representatives.
“I think it’s very doable to have all three principals in place by July,” Campbell said. “This is the beginning of hiring season when people are looking.”
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