Keystone Board of Education rejects nonrenewal of high school principal

LAGRANGE — Keystone High School Principal James Kohler will keep his job after the Board of Education rejected the superintendent's recommendation to not renew his contract. The board unanimously vetoed Superintendent Dan White's recommendation not to retain Kohler as the head of the high school. If no additional action is taken by June 1, Kohler will have an automatic two-year contract, White said. White declined to comment on the board's decision. Board member Carrie O'Boyle was absent. At the start of Tuesday's meeting, Board President Patricia Wakefield addressed those crowded into the high school classroom to "foster trust within our community." "In my role on the Board of Education, I am committed to supporting our staff in every capacity so they can in turn provide the best possible support for our students," Wakefield said. "Every individual within our district deserves the chance to flourish and it is our collective responsibility to ensure their success. To achieve this goal, I firmly believe in adhering to policy and procedures." She said the adults in the district must lead by example, referencing that the community has been "grappling with discussions surrounding truth and rumors." She urged adults in the community to only share facts, rather than engage in gossip and hearsay. When asked about the context for her comments after Tuesday's meeting, Wakefield said unrest in the community prompted her remarks, referencing the turmoil cased by Kohler's potential nonrenewal and other issues brought up by community members during Tuesday's meeting. District staff and students rallied around Kohler earlier this month during a special board meeting May 8. While no action was taken against him at that meeting, Kohler was part of an executive session that went late into the night. During the May 8 and 21 board meetings, parents and high school staff spoke in Kohler's support. Delia Blackburn noted the community rallying together for Kohler was an accomplishment in itself, especially for the students to show their support. Colton Smith, 17, previously started an online petition to keep Kohler as principal after hearing his job may be in jeopardy. The petition topped out at 739 signatures. Students also painted the large rock outside the high school in Kohler's support. At the end of Tuesday's meeting, board member Devin Stang thanked the public for showing up. He, and Andrew Hoops, declined to comment further after the meeting. Kohler could not be reached for comment. The Chronicle-Telegram obtained Kohler's most recent completed evaluation, for the 2022-23 school year. He was rated overall as "skilled," but ranked as "developing" in the category of school improvement. Comments in that category included there was little data collection from the building leadership team to help guide Kohler's decisions; or that data is being used to guide decisions. He also received a "developing" score in school operations, with notes that he needs to work with the director of curriculum before adding new courses. White completed Kohler's evaluation per the state evaluation system. After the meeting, board member Kim Sturgill said she was grateful to be able to move past the issue and focus on other matters — including the search for a new superintendent. In April White accepted a position to lead Revere Schools starting Aug. 1. The district entered into a $15,900 contract with Finding Leaders to locate a new superintendent by the end of July. Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com.